


The Garden

by Doogly_Writes



Series: The Garden [1]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-12
Updated: 2016-03-31
Packaged: 2018-05-19 21:35:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 25,160
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5981686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Doogly_Writes/pseuds/Doogly_Writes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Asgore and Toriel try to work out their past.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. It Could Be Worse

It was a warm summer morning, the sun barely peeking into the sky. Asgore was taking an early walk, enjoying the time before the sun got too intense. He rarely, if ever, got up before the sun, but this morning his eyes flickered wide awake, the clock ticking only 5:27 in the morning. It was no use for him to try to fall asleep again, so he rose from his bed, stretching in salutation to the new day. He made some tea and enjoyed a small piece of toast, the crumbs specked in his beard. He freshened up, combing his flowing mane and trimming his pesky whiskers. He brushed his teeth, making sure his fangs were presentable. He spit out the toothpaste in his mouth, barely twenty minutes have passed.

He double checked himself in the mirror. His hair was in its place, his beard wasn’t too crazy. Horns weren’t crooked, teeth white and breath fresh. He nodded at his reflection, he was ready to face the day. Now to choose what to face. He didn’t have many duties, having not found a job and Frisk taking most of the brunt of the job as a diplomat.

He supposed his tea stock was rather low, and his garden bare. Maybe a visit to the store would be a good idea. No, it was too early, nothing would be open. Maybe Undyne would be up. She always had the “Rise early and go to bed late” attitude about her, and she had the energy for it. He chuckled. Poor Alphys had to deal with that now.

He made up his mind and now he walked. His pace was slow, but his wide step made him go faster than the average early bird. He stuck out like a sore thumb on the Surface. It was barely a week since the barriers destruction, but humans and monsters were somewhat integrated. There were some problems, a small amount of prejudice against the more… odd looking monsters, but Frisk was a god send. They knew exactly what to do to keep both sides happy, and Asgore was grateful. Though, things weren’t perfectly settled.

As Asgore continued his walk, humans had the same idea. Joggers, Dog-walkers, early risers, all reaping the small amount of time before the sun grew unbearable. He greeted them all with a toothy grin, but all he received were slightly terrified looks and a large girth around him. He didn’t let it get to him, or at least tried not too. He was a seven foot goat monster, with exposed fangs, large horns and a claws. No matter how he dressed, whether he be in his usual flannel button up and cargos or in a suit, he would still be intimidating to the average human. Even the dogs were frightened, not even daring to bark at the weird thing crossing their path. They cowered behind their masters and whimpered, but he kept his head high.

He sighed, he didn’t mind. It could be worse.

At least everyone is free.

~~~

He loved taking walks. He loved greeting people. There was nothing that he loved more than to make people laugh, to make them smile. To do nice things for them and make their day just that much better. Walks helped him do that. Back in the underground he’d walk to all reaches of his kingdom, doing his best to greet every monster that he could. He knew about everyone’s names, what they did, what they like, who they liked. He loved to listen to their stories, especially over tea. He knew everybody, and everybody knew him. Mostly.

He did his best to get the thoughts of scared humans out of his head. He thought of small things, like what he was going to do. Tea with Undyne sounded like a grand idea, maybe Alphys would be there. He knew that his former Royal Scientist and Guard had finally gotten together, and was tremendously happy for the two. Anyway, tea with the two, or at least one, sounded like a great respite. Hopefully she remembered his favorite brand.

Ok, so after catching up with his near daughter, what next? Depending on how long that took, he could stop by the tea shop that he recently found out about. He’s only been there once, but once he stepped into the door, he fell in love. The walls were lined with teas, boxes, bags, leaves, small trees to start your own garden. He was in heaven. And the smell, good lord, the smell, it was intoxicating. One breath and you were almost immediately relaxes, the gentle aromas of all the teas mixed together into a perfect storm.

There were also little sample cups, and kettles with tea to sample. Jasmine, White, Black, more than he could remember. Oh, he loved the little cups. Each one was about the size of his thumb, ornate and delicate. The porcelain feeling perfectly smooth against his fingers, the heat trapped just enough not to burn his hand. Just the thought of it made him smile, his mood brightening.

Next, the garden. He chose a small house, two bedroom, two baths. Nothing too fancy, but the yard was large enough, which was all he really needed. Now what to do to his barren flower beds. Everybody loves cosmos, so plenty of those. Morning glories were also a pretty sight, tulips and pansies. Some small rose bushes, maybe a bench in the middle. The thoughts bloomed into his mind, the beautiful garden of his dreams so close to coming to life. He hoped that the local nursery was well stocked. Maybe he could fit a tea tree in there somewhere, maybe the back.

He hummed in thought, there was something missing. What was it? Daffodil? No, that’s too white. Snapdragons? Maybe, depends if there’s room. Foxtails? Very authentic, but what if someone were to eat it and… Oh! Lavender! He had completely forgotten about lavender! Oh, how he loved it. The gentle, sweet smell it had, the simple yet beautiful look of the flower itself. The buzzing bees that it attracted were also nice. Plus, they were Toriel’s favorite.

Oh.

They were Toriel’s favorite.

He stopped. Toriel. The name haunted him, the name that he loved but didn’t love him back. The word sweet on his ears, but he dared not think of it. Toriel. He had tried to keep the thought of his ex-wife from his mind, filling his day with small tasks to keep him busy and away from thinking about… her, but it was an uphill battle. It was bound to happen eventually.

He missed her so much. His mind was battered and broken by loss. The night she disappeared was the day that he lost a piece of himself, the part that never fully healed. He put on a confident face and preached war, but behind closed doors, his true self was exposed, a sad, lonely man that wanted nothing more than to see his wife again. Hear her sweet voice, her light laugh, her sighs as they fell asleep, the small snores she let out as she slept. The smell of her faint perfume, it was sweet, yet not too sweet. The taste of her pie, one that he could never, ever recreate. Anything that he could think of to remind him of the days of their loving marriage. He missed it so, so much. He missed her so, so much.

He looked around, breaking away from his thoughts. A small park, sitting on a small hill. A bench was nearby, an elderly couple occupying the seat. The lady was leaning against her husband, her body rising and falling with her breath. She looked so happy, so relaxed, so calm. The man draped a loving arm around his wife, planting a small kiss on her cheek. It was a sweet and simple movement, but it carried so much. Asgore’s heart swelled. He loved the sight, but hated it. Why could he not be like that with Toriel? Why did things have to be this way?

He stiffened, his own thoughts scaring him. He cast them aside, thrusting them from his head. A tear rolled down his face, splashing against the pavement under his feet. He didn’t care what happened to him. As long as his people were happy. As long as she was happy.

If she didn’t want him in her life, he was ok with that. Whatever she wanted, he would be happy to provide.

He was fine with it.

It could be worse.


	2. Undyne's Talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asgore and Undyne have a talk over tea

Despite the… events of the walk, Asgore found himself at Undyne’s house. It was vaguely similar to her old one underground, though lacking a personal dummy and the small fire problem. He remembered going to her house almost daily, enjoying time with his near-daughter. Drinking tea, talking, laughing. Sometimes there would be cocao, which he loved to drink but the marshmallows would always stick in his beard, which was a horrible mess to clean up. He sighed at the small reminiscence.

He walked up to the door, the ‘face’ no longer angry, but rather content. The windows were perfectly circular and the frame curled into a smile. He tapped on the opening, three times. He waited for a short while, hearing purposeful footstep walk through her foyer. The door opened, the hinges creaking slightly, a slightly groggy Undyne blinking at Asgore. Her eyes and mind connected, the image of Asgore removing all tiredness from her eyes and excitement removing the rust from her joints.

“Asgore!” She nearly yelled, jumping up and wrapping her arms around his chest. He returned the hug, ruffling her red hair gently. She reached up, attempting to noogie her old father figure. “I didn’t expect to see you this early! How you doing you old lug?”

Asgore smiled, “I have been doing okay. Enjoying the surface, of course.” Undyne gestured for him to come in, the comfy interior of her house inviting him as well. She had furnished it more than when her old one in the underground, a small seating area occupying the southern end of the house. A large couch with ample cushioning nearly called Asgore’s name. He sat heavily into the seat, sinking slowly into the soft pillows. It was the perfect size for the large monster, plenty of leg and elbow room. Undyne chuckled.

“I’ll go make some tea, golden flower still your favorite?” she asked, moving over to her stove.

“Of course,” he said, nodding with a smile. She got to work, tearing open the packets and setting some water to boil. Asgore looked around the house. It seemed slightly bigger than her last one, more windows as well. The fireplace was simple, brick with a wooden mantle, a small woodpile next to it. The walls weren’t scantily clad, plenty of photos and posters adorned them. They were primarily of Alphys, sometimes the two of them together. A larger one of the two holding each other on the beach stuck out, Asgore smiled at the picture. He was happy for the two, yet his heart panged. He ignored the feeling, burying the want deep within him. 

He looked at the mantle, on it was a framed photograph, along with her old helmet. Above the simple wooden shelf was two of her spears crossed on a plaque, a Delta Rune burned into the wood. Without her usual battle magic, they did not shine blue, but looked like run-of-the-mill spears. They were about five feet each, polished wooden handle, damascus steel tips. They were as impressive as they were simple, truly works of art. Each of the spearheads, funnily enough, were shaped after one of her teeth, the razor sharp cuspids perfect models for the weapon. 

His focus turned back to the photo, walking up to see what it was of. It looked like a barbeque at a park, Undyne toothily grinning at the camera. Several larger monsters were crowded in there, some looking at the camera, others focused on what they were doing.

They all looked vaguely familiar, something about their similar demeanors and size. He saw two of them sitting next to each other on a bench, nice cream cones in their hands, smiles on their faces. One was a rabbit, the other a dragon. The memories snapped into place, it was a reunion of the royal guard! He smiled, all of his old guardsmen enjoying themselves and their new lives on the surface.

“Oh yeah, we had that a few days ago.” She said behind Asgore, startling the old king. She was surprisingly stealthy. “Would’ve invited you, but I thought you’d be too busy.” She scratched the back of her neck, “Sorry.”

Asgore smiled at Undyne, “Oh, it is no problem at all. I just hope you all had a great time.” He noticed the tray in her hands, holding two cups, one much larger than the other. He sat back on the couch with a sigh, grabbing the mug from the platter. “How has your transition to the surface been?” He asked, sipping at the tea.

She sat down in the armchair next to his, taking a swig of her hot drink, “Oh, it’s been ok. Alphys and I are trying to find jobs and then she’s going to move in ASAP.”

Asgore smiled again, “Glad to hear it! I am relieved that you are having a good time so far.” He looked at his reflection in his tea, “How have the other guardsman been doing? I was hoping to catch up with them. Are the bunny and dragon together finally?”

“They are all fine, many of them are finding jobs in the police corp. Crime’s dropped just at the sight of them, so I think they might stay a while.” She laughed, “As for 01 and 02, they seem to be happily together.”

Asgore set down his cup, clapping his hands together. “That is great! I’m happy for them. We should invite them over for tea someday.”

Undyne chuckled, “Yeah, we should. But enough about the RG, what have you been up to, big guy?”

He froze slightly. What has he been doing? “Well, I haven’t been doing much. Frisk has taken almost all of the responsibility for Human Monster Relations and seems to be doing a fine job at it. I have mainly just been trying to settle myself out. Hopefully I will get a job soon, maybe as a janitor.” He looked down at his tea, once again his face staring back. Was that really all he’d been doing?

“Asgore,” Undyne stated, “Cut the crap. What’s been eating you?” She read his mind.

He stayed silent.

His old guard sighed, “It’s Toriel. Isn’t it?” He winced at the name, nodding sadly.

“Was it that obvious?” He asked, finally looking up from his tea. His eyes were misty.

“When you know someone for your whole life, so long that they are basically your father, you get to know them. Very well.” He looked back down, “You aren’t being your usual self.”

He stared at the steam wafting from the cup, the dark liquid swirling slowly. His hand was shaking. “It-It’s complicated.”

“I think I can handle it.”

He took a deep breath, the steam following the air, “Everyone’s life has improved so much since we’ve been liberated. We get some odd looks and a little bit of discrimination, but it sure beats living in the Undergound. I mean look at what we’ve all done. Sans is slowly but surely getting over his depression, Papyrus is taking cooking lessons, you and Alphys are as happy as clams. Toriel and Frisk are living happily and well, Tori finally accomplishing her life-long dream of being a teacher. Frisk is happy as long as we’re happy.

He sniffled. “It is selfish to say, but… what about me?” His voice faltered, the words dying in his throat as he spoke. “It could be worse. We could still be stuck Underground, or… worse, and I’m happy for everyone and will be as long as they are happy. But… I-I miss them so much.” Asgore’s usually deep voice cracked, his hands covering his face. Tears stained his cheeks, lines marching down to his beard.

Undyne looked sadly at her old teacher. She shuffled in and sat next to Asgore, wrapping an arm around his broad shoulders. “It’s ok, you old fart. Let it all out. I’m here for you.”

“I just… I-I…” His words almost hurt him to form, turning into wails and cries. Undyne rubbed the back of his arm, trying her best to calm the big guy down. His chest heaved as he wept, loud sobs sounding from the mountain of fluff. She’s never seen him like this before. She was used to the upbeat, somewhat sad goatdad that everyone knew, not the crying wreck that was sitting on her couch. But he had been there for her when her bravado failed and her feelings broken, this was the least she could do.

“Shh, shh,” she cooed, “Just let it all out.” He didn’t refuse, his hands freeing his face and clutching at the slender monster next to him, burying his snout into her shoulder. She didn’t mind the hot tears wetting her shirt. She hugged the old king, pulling him tightly against her.

He cried. He cried and cried until he couldn’t. Dry sobs were muffled by Undyne’s shirt, she looked sadly down at her old mentor. “How’s Frisk doing?” She asked, trying to comfort the old fluffball. It worked. He tried to settle himself, rubbing away the tears and sniffling.

A smile crept onto his face “Fr-Frisk? She’s been doing wonderfully, best diplomat I’ve ever had.”

“You should talk to her. Maybe spend a day or a weekend with her.” She offered, a smile of her own showing up.

“Oh, she’s much too busy to spend a day with an old lug like me, let alone the weekend.” Undyne couldn’t tell if his smile was fake.

“Besides, she’s got the b-best caretaker anyone could ask for. Tori’s plenty of fluffy goat-monster for her.”

His smile cracked.

“I-I wouldn’t be a good father to her anyway.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's some music lingo in here:  
> Triad: Three notes that make up a chord  
> "Broken Chord": To play Do then Re and Mi afterwards, or something to that effect  
> Diminuendo: Get softer  
> Grace Note: Quickly played notes, played almost as if it were an error you tried to correct

Undyne looked at the large monster sitting on her couch. Asgore looked… broken. She wanted to get angry, angry at someone, at something. Her first thoughts turned to Toriel, but she knew Asgore wouldn’t want her to blame her. He still cared for her deeply, Undyne knew that, and he understood why Toriel would hold hard feelings about him.

He had felt the same way about himself for years.

Suddenly, his phone rings. A simple tune, just enough to catch his ear in a busy room. He stood up as he pulled the source of the noise from his pocket, looking at the screen. His sad face brightened up.

“Who’s that?” Asked Undyne, trying to get a peek at the device.

Asgore’s smile widened, “It’s Frisk.” He traced his finger along the surface, placing the phone on his cheek. It was the biggest model, but it was still dwarfed by the sheer vastness of his face. Undyne would’ve chuckled if the mood were lighter.

“Howdy, Frisk!” He was happy to hear from the savior of the Underground. They hadn’t talked in what felt like forever, which in reality was about three days. Time seemed to go by so slowly aboveground, there was an odd relaxed feeling it. There was no rush, they didn’t need to escape, he didn’t have any speeches to prepare for and worry about. It was a simple life, one that he enjoyed a lot more than being king. 

“I’ve been doing fine, thank you. How’s the best diplomat in the world doing?” He laughed heartily, his toothy grin reappearing on his face. Undyne smiled too; it seemed like just talking to Frisk made his day twenty times better.

He chuckled at something Frisk said. “That sounds great!” he exclaimed, absolutely beaming. “Anyway, is there a reason you called, or are you just saying ‘Hello’?”

His face turned to surprise, though not unhappily so. “C-Come over?”

Undyne looked up.

“For the weekend?”

A small smile grew on her face

“Is T… your mother ok with it?” He paused, listening to the child talk. “Well, if she’s fine with it, I’m fine with it. Do you need a ride? Should I pick you up after school?”

“Oh, it is Saturday, isn’t it.”

“Ok, when are you getting dropped off?” He checked his watch.

“Eight o’clock? Ok, I’ll be at my house. See you then, child.”

He smiled as the call ended, looking down at his phone before placing back in his pocket. He looked at the half drunk cup of tea, the steam all but gone. His grin turned apologetic, turning his attention at his old guard, a small blush on his cheeks.

She smiled and closed her eyes, standing up to hug the old goat dad. “It’s fine, don’t worry about wasting tea. Tell Frisk I said ‘Hi.’” She released the hug.

“Go have fun, fluffybuns.”

~~~

Asgore sat on his porch, the small space all he really needed. He sipped on a glass of iced tea, the cool drink good for a slightly warm morning such as this one. Ok, so the main room was nice and tidy, the kitchen was organized, though he was lacking food. He might have to go restock soon, but not while Frisk was here. His room wasn’t a mess, the guest room had fresh sheets and the bathroom was spotless.

He sighed and reclined in his seat, hopefully Frisk has a great time.

Before he could go any further in his worrying, Toriel’s car rolled up. It was a simple old station wagon, all she really needed. Frisk was sitting the back seat. Before the car came to a complete halt, Frisk was out of the door, running up to Asgore’s house. He smiled and picked up the human, pulling her into a big hug. She giggled gleefully, climbing up the monster. She sat perched on his shoulders, her hands holding onto his horns.

He laughed, gripping onto her legs as he ran around, letting her ‘steer’ with his horns. An almost childlike happiness came over him, a big smile plastered on his face and laughs matching Frisk’s. The sound of the car door shutting stopped the merry making, Toriel walking up to the other two. 

Asgore’s smiled nearly vanished as he set down Frisk, rubbing the back of his neck, “H-Hey, Toriel.”

The old queen looked at her ex-husband. “Asgore,” she said with a curt nod, her face and voice devoid of any emotion. Asgore already felt like he had done something wrong, afraid to speak up. A tense silence grew between the boss monsters, Frisk knew what was going on but kept quiet.

She sighed, obviously not thrilled by the conversation, “Just be sure that she goes to bed early and that she doesn’t watch too much TV. I will come by at seven tomorrow afternoon to pick her up.”

Asgore tried to respond, the words forming in his mind but dying in his throat. He pursed his lips and nodded, his fist clenching slightly. Why was he such a coward?

Toriel looked down at Frisk, a small smile on her face, “Have fun, my child.” Frisk smiled back, hugging the monster goodbye. Toriel left to her car, driving away. Asgore looked down at Frisk, his eyes a little misty. Frisk looked up at him.

Asgore braved a smile, “Would you like that cup of tea?”

Frisk grinned as well, nodding enthusiastically.

~~~

Asgore’s house was plain, nothing much about it. There was a simple foyer that was built into the living room, a kitchen a few steps away. A table was separate for eating, a laundry room to the far right, which had an entrance to the backyard, along with the garage. The furniture was plain, a simple couch that looked cozy enough, and a rocking chair. It didn’t look like Asgore would ever be able to comfortably sit in it.

The walls were a dusty beige color, which didn’t look nice, but it wasn’t ugly either. Next to the couch was a small coffee table, little coasters with small little phrases such as ‘Nice Day Today!’ and ‘You Look Great!’ There was a medium sized bookshelf, which was level with Frisk’s chin under a window. A fireplace that looked like it would be cozy was in the corner, a small mantle on top.

Asgore went to the kitchen, grabbing his kettle and cups. “It’ll be ready in a jiffy!” He promised from the stove, the flame flickering into life. Frisk looked around, noticing a few things that she didn’t expect. There was not a single potted plant in the room. It seemed like the man who loved gardening almost as he loved his tea would at least have some plants inside, but the room was bare. He might not have had the chance to go out and get some, but it still struck Frisk as odd. 

There weren’t many pictures, either. She counted one or two, but besides that she couldn’t find any other in the entire house. Asgore seemed like the sentimental kind of person, and the fact that he had very little resemblances of his past in his home seemed very odd. Frisk shrugged it off, it’s only been a week, maybe he was taking a bit longer to move from his old house.

One thing that she did not expect to see, was a simple stand up piano against the wall, a matching bench under the keyboard. It was black, a little worn, but still nice looking. Frisk wouldn’t say it tied the room together, but it sure wasn’t an eyesore. Before she could explore further, the whistle of the kettle sounded, the tea was nearly ready. 

Small clinks and sounds of metal on porcelain sounded, Asgore emerging with two cups balanced in his hands. He handed Frisk a cup, sitting himself down and blew lightly on his drink. Frisk sat in the rocking chair, holding her tea firmly with both hands. 

Asgore sighed after he sipped. “I put two scoops of sugar in yours, I hope it tastes OK.” It didn’t taste ok, it tasted great! Frisk now saw why everybody loves the king’s tea, it was just sweet enough without overwhelming the subtle taste of the tea itself. She hummed as she sipped, the drink making her relax fully. She’d never really been a tea drinker before, but she could get used to it.

“So,” said Asgore, looking up from his tea, “How is school? Have you made any new friends?”

Frisk nodded, swallowing the sip she had taken, “It’s ok. I’ve made a few friends, but it’s still school.” 

Asgore chuckled, “No one likes school. I remember when I was younger my mother would have to fight me to go.”

Frisk hadn’t realized she had drained her cup, and set it down. “Really?” she giggled.

“Oh yes! I hated school,” His eyes looked off at the wall, staring at nothing in particular, “That was so many years ago, but I remember it so well. They say you keep the best memories with you.”

Frisk smiled, “Well then I guess I’ll have plenty of memories when I’m older.”

“Hohoho!” Asgore laughed, “That you will.” He noticed that her cup was empty, getting up of his seat to refill it, “I see that my tea is satisfactory.”

“Way more than satisfactory, dad.”

The words hit his ears, but he couldn’t believe them. She called him Dad. She had called him dad. He nearly skipped to the kitchen, his smile growing large and his hips shaking slightly. She called him dad.

It’d been so long since he’s heard the word as a title for himself, the last time way back when Undyne was still a bit of a young brat, her attitude more bodacious and fervorous than anyone he had ever met. 

They had a rather rough day of sparring, her tripping up and getting a small scrape on her knee. She sat, her eyes trying their best to beat the tears into submission, not letting them retreat down her cheeks, while Asgore saw to the minor wound. It was nothing a little bit of healing magic couldn’t fix, but she fussing and squirming so much that it was hard for him to concentrate. He got the job done, smiling as the skin formed back together, good as knew.

Without thinking, the Undyne of old said, “Thanks, Dad,” though she immediately shut her mouth. Asgore was shocked, his cheeks flushing and his eyes wide. She immediately tried to apologize, the flustered fish embarrassed by her slip-up. Asgore calmed the child, explaining that he was just surprised to be called that. He told her that he was honored to be called it. That cheered her up a bit.

As Asgore celebrated and reminisced at the stove, Frisk turned her attention to the piano. It seemed like the one thing in the room that actually had a bit of ‘Asgore’ in it, old and worn, but still working. None of the books on the shelf looked like his, they just seemed like some sort of filler, something he’d never read but just had for show.

He returned from his tea expedition, a fresh steaming cup for his daughter. He was still slightly giddy from her words. They sat in happy silence, small sips and the clink of china the only thing breaking it.

“Do you still play?” Frisk asked.

Asgore looked confused, “Hmm?”

The human looked over at the piano, the instrument seemed to grow at the attention. Asgore caught on, “Oh, why yes. Undyne taught me, she was always either fighting me or playing on her piano. One day, I came to just listen and enjoy some tea while she played. It was amazing, and after I gave her a small bit of applause, she offered to teach me. Saying that she owed me for teaching her to fight.” He got up, chuckling as he set his teacup down on a coaster. He opened the cover, revealing the white and black keys. A few fingers were placed down experimentally, a nice sounding chord ringing out. He smiled a bit, “Would you like to hear me play?”

Frisk nodded as soon as the words fell from Asgore’s mouth. The king chuckled as he lifted up the seat of the bench, stacks of paper lazily strewn in the small space. He looked through the stack, leafing through the yellowed pages. His fingers stopped flipping, a small smile finding it’s way on his face as he looked at the staff. It was the most genuine smile Frisk had seen on the monster.

He opened the page, making sure that it was in order and smoothing out any wrinkles. He closed the bench, sitting himself down on it. After getting all settled, he pet his lap, looking down happily at the child, signalling her to join him. She crawled up, sitting in his warm lap, looking at the sheet music he had on the stand.

She never learned how to read music, but she knew the basic concepts, the circles and lines meaning notes, the squiggle thing at the beginning being a Treble clef. Though, it looked like a silly drawing or rudimentary scribbles to her, giggling at what looked like a smily face, which was actually a tied note. Asgore set his fingers down, taking a deep breath.

“I may be a little rusty, but here goes.” He said, breathing out. His fingers depressed the keys, a B flat and a broken major chord ringing out. Even the first note made his smile grow a little amount, continuing with the piece.

The piece was quiet, but beautifully so, his fingers brushing against the keys just enough. Frisk swayed slightly in his lap, the music flowing through her. His left hand moved gracefully, playing the bass note and the rest of the triad an octave up seamlessly, while his right hand played the somewhat fast runs and melodies with great precision. He leaned in and out with the music, picking up the pace at some parts to impress the imaginary audience, as well as Frisk. When the music swelled, he did. When it fell back, he followed suit. Though he showed no strain, a simple smile on his face, his eyes soft and content. 

Frisk looked up at her goat father, happy to see the ends of his lips turned upwards. This was something he enjoyed doing, yet didn’t do it often. 

Four Fs were played, all written the same, yet each unique, a small difference between all of them. A sudden change in mood, the notes turning somber and quiet, yet still had energy to them. Asgore showed it, in his posture and his face. There is a saying that you can tell the rhythm, the tone, and the feelings expressed just by watching a performer, even with no sound. Cotton could be blocking your ears and you could tell if it was a major piece or a minor piece, fast or slow, somber or sweet. Just by watching the expression of the musician.

Asgore slowed down slightly, his notes gaining sound then diminuendoing back down, more quiet than they were before. His right hand stopped, holding an F as his left held played a slow arpeggio. He scooted forward slightly on the bench, preparing for the finale. He took a breath, his fingers moving impossibly fast for a flurry of grace notes, each note audible. He closed his eyes, focusing entirely on the music, his smile slipping for a small second, only to reappear as the notes resolved, major chords leading up to a final, major triad.

He held still, the notes still echoing and resonating off of everything in the house. The world seemed still as the tones disappeared into oblivion, the tense strings in the piano still quivering. He opened his eyes and looked down happily at Frisk, then at his fingers.

“Hohoho! I still got it.” He laughed, stretching the talented digits. Frisk smiled, and laughed with him.

“That was pretty,” she said, nearly breathless. “What’s it called?” She looked at the sheet music. ‘Nocturnes’ sat above the actual score, though that hardly answered her question.

Asgore hummed in thought, looking up and tapping his bearded chin. “I don’t remember the name, I just know that the name means ‘Night’ in English, and that it was your mother’s favorite.”

Toriel’s favorite.

There he goes again. He sighed, looking back down at Frisk, who looked worriedly back at him. Without a single word, he could tell that she knew exactly what was going on. For a girl who barely opened her eyes fully, she sure did see a lot. He tried to brave a smile, but Frisk didn’t buy it.

She wordlessly wrapped her arms around his chest, the limbs barely long enough to reach each other. Her lips turned upward, her chin resting on Asgore’s chest. “Well, now it’s my favorite too.”

Asgore grinned, though this time it was real.

“Thank you Frisk. That…

“That means a lot.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGRO05WcNDk


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are looking up

Toriel looked back through her mirror, watching Asgore and Frisk enter Asgore’s home. She sighed, something didn't seem right about him. When she stopped him from fighting Frisk, and thank goodness that she did, he had a slight look in his eye. Some would call it hope, hope that she was coming back, that things would go back the way it was. The glint diminished as she shot him down, her harsh words punctuating that it was in fact over, but was still there. Though, today, when she looked at him, he averted his gaze, his hands tight against his body. Only the smallest flicker of that hope was in his dark brown eyes. How he struggled to speak, and stood stiff, she wanted to just run up and hug him, tell him that everything was going to be alright, as if he were a child. She wanted to love him.

But at the barrier, seeing him hovering over Frisk, his trident at the ready, mercy the last thing he wanted or deserved... She couldn't love him. She imagined all of the past children, all being extinguished under his might, like lambs to slaughter. It froze her in place, she was paralyzed by the man she wanted and hated. 

She loved her husband, he was the love of her life, she wanted nothing more than to be with him. Though, that image has been ingrained in her brain, his heinous acts reminding her why she left. He was not the monster she loved before, and she hated that she hated him.

She sniffed, continuing down the road without looking back.

~~~

Asgore sighed as he lifted his fingers from the ivory keys. Happiness spread on his face as he closed the cover. He popped his knuckles, wincing slightly, “So, what would you like to do today, Frisk?”

Frisk sat on her hands, her legs swaying slowly off of the bench, “I dunno.” Asgore smiled at her answer.

“Well, that’s no good. I was going to run some errands,” he said, rubbing his neck, “but I feel like we should do what you would want to do.”

“Errands?” She asked, a peculiar look on her face “I love errands! Can I come, can I come? Please.” She grew excited, her force contorting into a wide grin as she drew out the ‘Please.’

Asgore looked at the child, how could he reject a face like that? “Of course! I have to warn you, it won’t be that exciting.” He said. She nodded.

Asgore chuckled and lifted Frisk up, placing her on the ground while getting up himself, the bench seemed to sigh in relief as his weight was lifted. Frisk ran excitedly to the garage, Asgore walking behind her, chuckling at her sheer love of errands. He grabbed the keys and made his way to the car.

~~~

They drove past the suburbs and streets on their way. Asgore made a checklist in his mind. At the top of the list was food, he needed to restock now that he had Frisk in the house, and he was getting low in reserves anyway. Tea was next on the list, seeing how Frisk drained two cups with relative ease, he’ll need to stockpile any time she came over.

He paused at that thought. ‘Any time she came over.’ Would she be coming over regularly? The thought of being a true dad again made him giddy, but it was completely up to Frisk. If she wanted to, or not, was completely her choice.

Asgore got his thoughts back on track. Tea. Frisk would probably really like the tea shop, with its neat samples and delicious brews. He smiled at the thought, her checking every sample and deciding whether or not she like them. He had plenty of money, but not enough if she chose to buy the whole store.

Finally, he needed to visit the nursery. Hopefully they had plenty of flowers ready to be planted, and maybe Frisk would help. She’s been rather interested in what he had been doing, perhaps she would.

Before he could go further in thought about his plans, they reached their destination. It was a small center, a main building for the market and a few food places scattered in separate buildings. He was lucky he heard about this market, the owners and employees apparently very monster friendly. Most humans were, seeing the ‘new’ race as friend more than foe, but there were still some who not entirely trusting. Frisk sure did help with that though, she was living, breathing proof that monster were harmless.

… Mostly. 

The two entered the store, the sliding doors making a happy ‘Ding!’ as they opened, the greeter welcoming them and nodding in respect. Asgore was very well known and very hard to miss, most humans already knew of the fluffy King of Monsters. Asgore smiled sheepishly, grabbing a cart, Frisk doing as most kids do and taking a ride on it. 

As Asgore made another list, trying to figure out what they needed, Frisk caught sight of something wonderful, something amazing.

“Frisk, what would you like for breakfast, do you like eggs or do you prefer toast?” He looked at the child, whose face was filled with pure awe. “Frisk?” He looked over at what she was gawking at, an ice cream parlor in view. Uh oh.

Should he let her get a sweet treat? It was a hot day, and ice cream is quintessential for those. But… he didn’t want to spoil her, Toriel would not approve of him bribing her child with treats. He was torn, the most torn he had been over a mundane thing.

His sweet tooth won the fight, he reached for his wallet and pulled out twenty dollars in cash. He handed it to Frisk, “Go ahead, and get me one too. I don’t care which flavor.” She grabbed the money and ran, giggling as she went for a frozen treat.

She made it to the parlor in record time, the familiar blue bunny that was running it having a cheery smile. “Hello! Would you like some Nice- I mean, Ice Cream?” Frisk nodded enthusiastically. “Great! Take your time, I’m ready when you are!”

There were a ton of flavors, twenty-one to be exact, ranging from the basic vanilla and chocolate, to strawberry, cherry, mint, caramel, and some oddballs like pistachio and coconut. She had always been partial to chocolate, already making her mind up at that, but what would Asgore like? She knew he was a sucker for sweet things, but what was his favorite? He didn’t seem to be a mint guy, or of a fruity palette. Pistachio probably wasn’t sweet enough, though it was Toriel’s choice, and coconut was too topical. Vanilla seemed like the best fit, until she saw the one flavor that without a doubt he loved. 

Butterscotch.

She made her order, the vendor offering her a small discount for helping him kickstart his career all the way underground. He scooped the treat with practiced precision, whipping up the two cones ludicrously fast, giving Frisk them, along with a smile and a cheery “Have a Super-Duper day!”

Frisk licked happily at the frozen desert, the words ‘Are those claws natural?’ printed on the napkin that was wrapped around the base. She found Asgore, who was looking at the produce. She offered him his cone, which he took happily, taking a bite. Frisk had made the right call, he loved it.

The two made their way through the store, Asgore asking Frisk if she wanted anything in particular. The cart was loaded with all sorts of foodstuffs, juice, milk, a dozen of eggs, along with other grocery standards. Asgore double checked that they had everything they needed, making their way to check out.

The two left the store, Asgore taking the last few bites of his waffle cone. He unwrapped the napkin, throwing the tip that remained and chewing on it. There were a few crumbs and remains of ice cream in his beard, which he wiped away. As he was throwing the sheet away, the message caught his eye.

“Love yourself! I love you!”

He smiled, folding it nicely and setting it in the trash. They made it the car, loading the groceries, now to the next part of the day. 

Onwards to tea.

~~~

The expedition for tea went well, Frisk finding a favorite brand of Golden Flower tea, along with a tea cup that she could call her own. Asgore felt slightly guilty for spoiling her, but he knew she would at least use what he was buying her.

Asgore was delighted to find out that the local nursery was rather well stocked, finding plenty of flowers of all colors to choose from and purchase. Frisk helped him when he turned too indecisive, her input helping Asgore out a great deal. 

The two returned home, the car full of groceries, tea and flowers. Frisk held onto her new cup, the pattern simple yet beautiful, a royal blue floral etching on pure white porcelain. Asgore saw her eying it in the shop. It was interesting how Frisk worked. She seemed to have the know how and smarts of an adult, able to keep cool under stress and knowing how to defuse any situation without needing to fight, but also had the maturity of both an adult, and a child. Asgore had noticed that she had an eye for the cup and had to convince her that it was okay for him to buy it for her, she seemed to not want him to do too much for her. Any other child would be completely fine with getting any sort of gift they wanted, but Frisk seemed to be the opposite.

Asgore checked the time, 12:03. Frisk had no doubt eaten at her mother’s and had a nice serving of sugar and calories earlier, so lunch was not a problem. He didn’t feel too hungry, and wanted to get those flowers in the ground. He and Frisk unloaded the car, Asgore wondering where to put the new flowers for his garden.

When everything was put away all neat and the plants ready to be planted, Asgore donned his gardening hat and readied his tools. Frisk helped, moving the plants that he needed where he needed them, grabbing him tools and helped by digging small holes and watering the plants that had already been placed in the earth. The smell of flowers and warm soil was in the air, Asgore revelling in it. Frisk couldn’t help but smile at her goofy father-figure, his predator body morphed into a flower loving, fluffy pushover of a monster, his gardening hat the icing on the cake, with it’s position slightly tilted due to his horns.

They gardened until they finished, the day growing old as they did, before they knew it, the sound had started to recede, the sky darkening slightly. Asgore clapped the dust off of his hands as the last of the bunch had been planted, the garden shaping up nicely. His watch read 7:47, dinner time. His stomach growled under his dirt caked shirt, his white fur far from pristine.

He looked down at his daughter, who was equally dirty.

“Pizza?” He asked.

“Pizza.” She answered, smiling and nodding her head.

~~~

With a delicious, ‘home cooked’ meal in their bellies and a good wash, the two were getting ready for bed. Asgore felt better than he had in ages, the day rather refreshing. The gardening had helped remove some of the rust in his joints and Frisk more than a blessing for his mood.

He sat on the guest bed, Frisk tucked under the covers. He held a small book in his hands, reading a few pages of a story to her. She was listening intently, her head bobbing as she nearly nodded off, but still trying to listen.

He read the last line, closing the book with a clap. He looked at the child, “Ok, did you brush your teeth?” Frisk nodded, “Have your pyjamas on?” Another nod, “Are you ready for bed?” She smiled, nodding one last time. “Good.” He kissed her brow, “Goodnight, young one.”

He turned around, yawning as he opened the door, flicking off the lights.

“I love you, Dad,” Frisk said from the bed, “Goodnight.”

He froze, his hand still on the doorknob. “I…

“I love you too, Frisk.”

The door clicked shut, and Asgore went to finish the best day he’s had in what felt like forever.


	5. Chapter 5

Sunlight shone through the room and fell upon Frisk’s sleeping eyes. She yawned and got up, stretching her arms and back. She took a deep breath. 

Smells like breakfast. 

Asgore was in the kitchen, the sound of food sizzling filling the air. Frisk walked in, taking a seat at the table. Asgore’s food smelled amazing, eggs, bacon, pepper; seemed like a perfectly good omelette. The old King noticed his adoptive daughter sitting and watching him, swinging her legs idly on her bar stool.

“Good morning, Frisk!” he said cheerily, “I was just about to wake you. Breakfast will be ready very soon.” The human smiled and nodded. Asgore may not be the best cook, but he at least tries, and knows how to do certain foods really well. He can make a killer piece of toast.

He smiled as he worked, the egg just about fully cooked. He took a big whiff, sighing at the smell of cooked food. The food sat for a while as Asgore grabbed two plates with a pair of forks to match. Using one he halved the omelette and put the bigger of the two on Frisk’s plate.

He sat at his chair, fork at the ready. Frisk had already begun eating, her stomach grumbling. In what felt like no time at all, she polished off her plate, Asgore was impressed.

“Was it that good?” He chuckled, “Should I make another?” 

“It was that good,” She said, amazed, “When did you learn to cook so well?”

A flash of sadness appeared in his eyes, “You learn eventually after being alone for a century or two.”

Frisk’s face flushed of color, “Oh… I didn’t mean to…”

“It’s alright, Frisk,” he interrupted, smiling, “You had no idea. Anyway, do you want another?”

“I would love another, but I’m full.” She got up and hugged her goatdad, “Thanks, dad.”

He ruffled the human’s already messy hair, “Go get yourself all cleaned up while I finish,” he said after a bite, “What do you want to do today?”

Frisk thought for a second, then shrugged, “Have you ever had grade A surface burger, all messy and filled with preservatives?”

Asgore looked confused, “Well no, no I haven’t.”

“Then that’s what we’re doing.”

~~~

Toriel sat in her usual rocking chair, the same one she had in the ruins. She wasn’t sure if it was creature comforts or a want of the past, but her new house on the surface is an exact replica of the home she had before underground. Same layout, same furniture. She wasn’t even sure why, but she included Asgore’s room in the mix, though it was still ‘Under Renovation.’ Maybe it was just her wanting the past, maybe it was because she didn’t want to exclude it, maybe past her thought of it as a good spot for a guest bedroom, but it stood there, immediately to her right every time she exited her room.

Despite the cozy fire and comfortable chair, and her favorite snail book, she still felt uncomfortable. The empty house seemed to taunt her, Frisk has barely been away for more than a day, and she already felt the empty nest syndrome crawling back up. The clocked ticked, it wasn’t even three o’clock yet. She sighed and closed her book, taking the glasses that were balancing on her nose, she needed to do something. But, what could she do?

There was a knock on the door, rousing her from her thoughts. She hurried to the entrance, unlocking the door and opening it, Sans the skeleton was standing on her welcome mat.

“what, no ‘who’s there’?” He said, his smile gleaming.

Toriel chuckled, “Sorry Sans, I didn’t realize it was you.” She motioned for him to enter, “Come in, come in!”

“heh, it’s no problem, tori, just pulling your tail.” He looked around, noticing the lack of Frisk in the room, “where’s the kid?”

“Oh, she’s with Asgore for the weekend.” She looked at her phone, “She has kept me updated though.” She laughed, showing Sans the picture of the Nice Cream napkin saying ‘Are those claws natural?’ “I’m glad they’re having fun.”

“no hard feelings between you and old king fluffybuns?” he asked, taking a seat on the couch.

She winced slightly, “I… wouldn’t say that. There’s some small tension.” She chuckled wearily, “It’s almost funny. When I came back I expected him to stop at nothing to try to get me back. Flowers, tea, letters, chocolate, you know, but… he seems almost… scared of me.”

“i would be scared too, a big fluffy goat monster with fangs and horns.” He feinted a small look of fear, “i’d better leave before the real ‘tor’ror begins.”

“That one was a bit forced.”

“yeah, i know.”

“But seriously, it would be so much easier if he was a love drunk old dolt that I get mad at and could send away but he’d be back as soon as I turned around. Now… I’m somewhat scared for him. He seems numb, and numbness isn’t a lack of feeling, it’s blocking it, bottling it up until you can’t hold it anymore,” She looked up at Sans, her eyes worried, “And I’m afraid of what would happen when he does eventually snap.”

Sans sighed, “i dunno tori, seems like he’s got your goat.” She looked at him angrily, “ok, that one was an accident. heh, but i don’t think you have to worry too much now, seems like frisk is keeping him happy at least for right now.”

She nodded, smiling faintly. Her phone buzzed, another text from Frisk. It was a picture, Asgore and Frisk sitting in a booth, holding burgers as if they were royalty, pinkies raised with straight backs and lips. Toriel giggled, Asgore looking incredibly goofy with his overly pompous look, Frisk trying her best to look snooty with her signature straight face. Sans peeked at the screen, chuckling at the picture, “see, i think he’ll be fine for now.”

It was her turn to sigh, “I know, I know, but I am a mom at heart, I always have to worry.” Her mood a bit better, “Anyway, what brings you here to my abode, and where’s Papyrus? It seems like you two are usually inseparable.”

“pap is having a cooking ‘lesson’ with undyne,” he put emphasis on ‘lesson’, “and as much as i love ketchup, i don’t enjoy being splattered with tomato remains. as for why i’m here, i was feeling a little ‘bone’ly and wanted to visit an old friend.”

Toriel laughed, “Sounds like a good enough reason. So how has your life on the surface been?” 

They went on for a while, going from topic to topic, how the whole teaching gig is going, Papyrus’s endeavors as a chef and how he was “actually improving,” at least that’s what Sans said. How Frisk is doing. In their chit chat, hours managed to pass without them realizing it. The clock struck seven, reminding Toriel what she had to do.

“Goodness! Sorry to cut this short Sans, but I have to go pick up Frisk.” She rushed and gathered her purse and keys, hurrying to the front door.

“no problem at all, tori. glad we had the chance to talk.” The two left her house, Toriel making sure to lock it on the way out. She opened her car door, biting her lip as a thought came to her mind.

“Hey, Sans…” she said, looking over at the skeleton.

“what’s up.”

“I know you hate keeping promises, but-”

“you want me to keep an eye on asgore.” She nodded, an apologetic look in her eyes. He winked, “don’t worry, i’ll put my best socket to use.”

“Thank you so much, Sans. It means a lot.”

“hey, what are friends for?”

~~~

Asgore and Frisk sat in Asgore’s living room, sipping on tea. It was nearing the time that Toriel was going to pick up the child, so they spent last few minutes just enjoying the company along with their tea. Frisk admired her new teacup, happy that Asgore bought it for her. She drank the last bit of tea left, her phone buzzed.

She looked up from the screen, “Mom’s here.” Asgore nodded, putting down his cup, the steam still rising lazily. The two walked to the exit.

“Do you have everything?” Frisk nodded, “Are you sure?” She giggled, nodding again. He smiled, kneeling down and giving his child a big goodbye hug. “Don’t be a stranger alright? Just give me a call any time you want to come over.” She nodded, her face buried in his shirt. With one final squeeze and a kiss on her brow, he opened the door and watched her walk away. She turned around and waved before she got in the car. He smiled, putting his hand up as she climbed into Toriel’s car. He watched as the two most important people in his life drove off.

He took a deep breath and smiled, walking back into his home. His gaze turned to the piano.

~~~

Frisk sat in the backseat, looking back at the small home that was Asgore’s. She had a lot of fun just spending time with him, and he obviously loved to have her around.

Toriel looked at the forlorn child, sighing quietly. “You want to spend another day, don’t you?” Frisk nodded. Toriel smiled, as she signaled a turn. The car turned around in the vacant street.

They arrived shortly, Toriel parking the car. “I’ll be right back, I need to talk to Asgore.” Frisk responded with a simple “OK,” and Toriel walked up the door, knocking twice lightly. She waited, though there was no response. She tried the handle, which fortunately wasn’t lock. She pushed the door open, the sound of a piano greeting her. She looked over, seeing her old husband playing away at his old piano, the piece slow and sweet.

She didn’t want to interrupt, so should stood and listened, swaying slightly to the beat. He had no idea he had an audience, his attention put entirely on the keys. Toriel couldn’t see his face, but she could tell he was smiling. He looked truly happy.

Several minutes passed, Toriel enjoying the soft tones of the piano, until the ending drew to a close, the chords ringing into nothing. As Asgore raised his hands off the keyboard, Toriel gave him a small hand of applause. He looked back, shocked to see her standing there.

“Tori- erm, Toriel! I… um didn’t hear you come in.” He stuttered, a light blush on his cheeks.

She smiled, “I came in to tell you that Frisk wanted to stay another night. Just bring her back when you can, maybe even a day later. She really wants to spend more time with you.”

He tried his best to match her smile, “Oh! Oh of course! She can stay whenever, as long as it’s ok with you.” He rubbed his neck, trying to match her eyes. They didn’t look angry, but looked somewhat happy, almost joyful.

“Of course. Anyway, I’ll leave you be.” She opened the door. 

“Maybe you could come over one of these days, play a little bit of music. Frisk would most likely love to take lessons. I’ll make some of that pie you love.”

He couldn’t believe his ears, “Uh… yeah! That sounds lovely. Thank you, Tori.” He realized his mistake, “Toriel! I mean, sorry.”

She laughed at his blush and bashful behavior, “It’s fine, Asgore. I’ll tell Frisk to come in. Have a goodnight.”

“You too!” he called as she left. Things were beginning to look up for him.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good lord I'm so sorry for the wait  
> And that it's so short  
> I felt like I needed to get something out, and since I'm a lazy asshole with very little time I had to scrap it together.

Frisk held onto the brown paper bag, filled with all kinds of goodies for her lunch. Asgore sat behind the wheel, reclining back into the seat. He was worried that no car that he wanted would have enough room, but luckily he found just the right one. It was a little dated, and wasn’t the nicest mobile in town, but to him it was perfect.

He hummed along to the radio, the station of choice of course being classic rock. Ever since Undyne showed him the whole genre of ‘Dad Rock’ he couldn’t get enough, and luckily for him, a radio station had it going twenty-four seven. There was always a pad of paper and pen in the console, in case he found a song that he really liked. Frisk giggled at his love for the old music, but she couldn’t say she didn’t enjoy it either. She found herself rocking out with the old King, swaying to the beat and singing along. 

The school building came into view, Asgore turned into the entrance. Frisk unbuckled her seat belt, grabbing her backpack and preparing for the day. Monster Kid sat on a bench near the building, kicking his feet idly as he waiting for his friend to show up. Asgore parked in an open spot, turning the engine off. Frisk hastily threw open the car door, her backpack strapped to her back, the sack still clutched in her grasp. Ducking his head, Asgore rose from his seat, looking down happily at his child.

He knelt down and gave her a hug, “Have a great day at school, Frisk!” he said before planting a small kiss on her brow. She giggled, hugging him back. A distant ‘Yo!’ was heard, Frisk turning to look at her monster friend. Asgore smiled and ruffled the human’s hair, letting her run off to the school building. Returning to his car, he sat and checked his phone. He was in no rush to get home, and Undyne was texting him about who-knows-what. He turned up the radio and delved into his conversation.

~~~

Monster Kid peeked into the sack lunch, his eyes glistening. “Yo! Where’d you get that?” he asked, “That looks, like, really good!” Frisk laughed, sealing the lunch back up. She loved Toriel’s lunches, anything that she cooked was amazing, but Asgore obviously put in extra care, and it really showed. A thermos sloshed on the side of Frisk’s backpack, fresh tea made for the entire day. 

“Whoops!” an nasally voice said as they snagged the paper bag from Frisk’s hands, “Was this yours?” Three boys showed their faces, most of which had small bruises and shaggy hair. They counted three strong, all with pudgy arms and mugs, sneers hanging on their jowls. The first bully crumpled through the paper bag, setting his eyes on the treasure inside, “Woah, this looks really good! Be a shame if something or someone was to steal it.” The other two chuckled.

MK stepped up, “Yo dude, that’s not at all cool.” He stood up as tall as he could, perching on the balls of his feet to make him seem bigger. “Give it back.” He was promptly pushed over, his armless body lacking much balance. 

“Yo, you need a hand… wait, was that insensitive?” One jeered, the others howling in laughter.

“Why don’t you try fighting someone with the same amount of limbs, freak. You might have a bit more success,” said another. Laughs echoed along the walls, MK both was seething on the ground, both in pain and in embarrassment.

Frisk looked down at her friend, her fists clenching. She stepped up, her usual deadpan face showing slight signs of anger. The antagonists just laughed, “Is big scary momma goat gonna come and give us detention later?”

“Teacher’s kid and teacher’s pet.”

The bully holding the lunch looked at the note, reading it aloud “‘Have a great day at school, Frisk!’” He snickered, “What, did mommy make this for you too?”

A hulking shadow covered Frisk, the darkness spreading to the feet of the bullies. “No,” the shadow said, a slight blue tint to their eye, “I did. I suggest that you put it down and leave Frisk alone.” The bullies stood wide eyed in fear. 

“Now.” The word held command only few could resist.

They were not the few. Their wills broke, and they ran away, squealing a few pitches higher than they were talking with before. Asgore huffed, looking back down at Frisk and MK, “Are you two alright?”

Frisk nodded and Monster Kid picked himself up off of the ground, the bruise under his eye only getting bigger, though he was beaming “Yo, thanks mister Asgore sir. Really saved us there. You’re awesome!”

Asgore smiled at the monster’s kind words, “Hohoho, I suppose. I’m just glad you two are safe.” The bell began to ring, cutting him short. “Welp, hope you two have a great day! See you in a few hours Frisk!” He ruffled the child’s hair one last time before walking away.

~~~

Toriel was walking down from the office, a mug of steaming coffee in one hand and a stack of papers in the other. She stood near a window overlooking playground, the sight of children, both human and monster alike, playing carefree with one another warming her heart. She peered around, looking for Frisk, but couldn’t seem to find her or her armless best friend

She took a sip from the cup, the dark, bitter taste making her shiver. Coffee wasn’t as big underground as it was on the Surface; it seemed like everyone drank it here. Toriel couldn’t say she enjoyed the taste, and monster food was already energizing enough, but there was a nice kick behind the bitter brew. The aftertaste was also a nice plus. 

Her eyes caught what looked like a small standoff across the yard, three versus two. Through the thick of the cluster, she caught the yellow scales of Monster Kid, as well as the deadpan face of Frisk. The coffee started to bubble, she didn’t realize that fire started to form at her fingertips. She set down the mug and papers, ready to storm out there and give them a stern talking to. She noticed that the bullies held a bag above Frisk’s head, laughing and jeering. Maybe they needed a little bit more than just a talking to.

In what seemed like an instant, the children were covered in shadow, and Toriel froze. Asgore stood behind Frisk, his posture showing that he meant no harm, but was still ready to defend his child. She saw him open his mouth to talk, and the mean spirited boys skedaddle. He helped MK up onto his feet, patting the monster gently on his back. His usual toothy grin flashing The bell rang and he left, obviously wishing Frisk to have a good day.

She sighed as she picked up her mug and graded papers. Maybe she was worrying too much about Asgore, he seemed finally happy. She just didn’t know, and that’s what scared her the most.

The second bell rang, signalling for the kids to file into their classrooms. Toriel took another sip, drawing an ‘X’ next to a three names on her roster. She had a few calls she needed to make after class. Every day she was calling more and more strangers about their kids.

And every day she was calling fewer and fewer people that she knew.


	7. Chapter 7

The car door clicked open to reveal Frisk gleefully jumping out from the passenger seat, and Asgore lumbering slowly behind her. She bounced excitedly at the door, waiting for the old King to unlock it. Despite his house being uncharacteristic of the large goat monster, it was still homey and she loved spending time there with her goatdad.

The sound of keys jingling and tumblers clicking sounded as he turned the knob, Frisk entering eagerly. She threw her bag onto the sofa, taking a seat. She patted the cushion next to her.

“You promised,” she said, putting on the saddest face she could muster.

Asgore blushed, scratching the back of his neck, “Frisk… I do not think that this is a good idea.”

“You. Promised.” She spoke with a strong yet well-meaning, deadpan voice, which was a bit uncharacteristic of Frisk.

Asgore whimpered, accepting defeat and sitting on the floor in front of the child, who was no longer holding her sad facade. She grabbed a nearby planter, small pink, blue and red flowers adorning the stems. Plucking off some of the flowers, she set them down on the table. After she grabbed a sufficient amount, the child ran her hands through Asgore’s mane, the luxuriously soft hair flowing between her fingers. She snatched one of the flowers, tying the red petals into his golden locks. Tugging the knot tight, she moved onto the next, braiding his long hair and adorning it with pretty little flowers.

Not even his beard was spared, his proud whiskers now tied into a neat knot at the bottom, a strand of string keeping it in place. Despite his complaints, he couldn’t say he hated it. When he saw his own reflection, he chuckled at how ridiculous he looked, but he loved the new look.

“You look pretty!” Giggled Frisk, standing on her tiptoes looking at his reflection, “I think you could pull it off.”

He laughed, picking up his daughter, “Me? Pretty? My child, I am the King of Monsters! I am a ferocious beast!”

“With a big old pudgy belly!” She exclaimed, patting the front of his shirt, “You’re cute! Cute!”

“Am I? What about…” he pulled her up face to face, “My fangs!” He showed off his pearly teeth, jutting out his fangs. He snarled silently, just to add to the effect.

Frisk giggled again, “They’re adorable!” She raised a finger up, booping his nose.

He feigned injury. “No! Not my snout! I’ve been hit!” He fell, landing heavily onto the carpet. “My only weakness!” While he did his best to stay in character, Frisk was in stitches, her laughing fit leaving her breathless.

“Mercy! I beg of you!” He couldn’t keep the laugh out of his voice. “What must I do for you to spare me?”

“Accept that you’re cute.” Frisk said, smiling down at her adoptive father.

“If I must…” He sighed with melodramatic effect, “I, Asgore Daphne Dreemurr, King of all Monsters Underground… am cute.”

He broke into laughter, joining Frisk. After the two calmed down, she closed her eyes, resting her head on Asgore’s chest. “You’re the best, dad.”

“You’re the best daughter I could ever ask for.” He felt a pang of guilt, thinking to way back when, but he tried not to linger on the past. He pulled her into a light hug, “What do you say for a little bit of TV before you get to your homework.”

“But mom doesn’t usually let me do that,” said Frisk, picking herself up.

Asgore put a finger to his lips, “I won’t tell if you don’t tell.” Frisk chuckled, nodding and putting her own finger to her lips. Asgore grabbed the remote, the screen flickering on. The two surfed through the channels looking for something for them to both watch, when Asgore’s phone rang.

He apologized and picked it up, listening to the person on the other line. “Uh huh, ok.” He said into the receiver, “I’ll meet you then.” He looked down at Frisk.

“You have to go meet someone?” She asked, a twinge of sadness in her voice.

The old monster sighed, “Yeah, sorry Frisk. Gerson wanted to talk about something with me.”

“No girls allowed?” She managed a small smile.

He grinned back, “Yeah, sorry. No girls allowed.” He ruffled her hair, “I’ll be back within a few hours. You can handle yourself, yes?”

She nodded as Asgore lifted himself from his seat, “I’ll tell Gerson you said ‘hi,’ and there’s some leftovers in the fridge.”

She waved as he left for the garage, reclining back against the couch. She tuned into one of the many channels, her favorite show already on.

~~~

Toriel was sitting at her kitchen counter, Sans at her side. She could feel the regret crawling from her stomach, cursing herself for inviting the Skeletons over for her to sample Papyrus’s newest endeavor at cuisine.

In front of her sat a steaming bowl, the noodles and sauce begging to be eaten. “come on tori, it’s actually pretty good this time,” insisted Sans, though she took it with a grain of salt. She sighed quietly as she took the fork in hand, raising it to her snout. She dared not to breath and she took a bite.

Toriel loved Papyrus, his endeavors and determination to be a better cook always warmed her heart. He came over often with Sans, nearly begging her to sample his newest dish. She would scrunch her nose and take a bite, the spaghetti not horrible per se, but still not that great. It was certainly improving, but by what margin she was not sure. But this time, something she did not expect happened.

Instead of an odd connection of flavors spreading across her tongue, some making no sense at all, sometimes she would catch a hint of what seemed to be peach, it was actually divine. It was nice and tangy, without being overbearing, and the noodles were perfectly al dente. She took a sigh of relief, taking another forkful.

Sans’s smile seemed to grow, even though it couldn’t, “told you it was good. you should really trust me sometimes.” She ignored him, eating another bite, “wow, you’re really ravenous. i’m glad that you could put the not so good concoctions my brother made in the ‘pasta’... ‘orzo’ it seems.”

“SANS, I DON’T WANT YOUR PUNS TO RUIN THE MEAL FOR MISS TORIEL.” Said an exasperated Papyrus.

Sans chuckled, “i don’t think the meal would be ruined even by the ‘wurst’ food pun i could come up with.”

Toriel sighed as she cleared the plate of any stray strands of spaghetti, licking her lips, “My goodness Papryus, no offense meant, but when did you get so good at cooking?”

“WELL, I THOUGHT TO MYSELF, ‘PAPYRUS, WHAT IS IT THAT MAKES SPAGHETTI AS GREAT AND AMAZING AS YOU?’ AND THEN IT HIT ME!” He was beaming, “DON’T LISTEN TO WHAT UNDYNE TAUGHT ME!” Sans chuckled. “SO I STARTED COMPLETELY OVER!”

Toriel tore a piece of bread from a nearby loaf, sopping up some of the sauce in the bowl. “That makes sense, sometimes you have to start from scratch when things aren’t working out.”

“IT’S WHAT I ALWAYS SAY! SOMETIMES YOU GOTTA BREAK THINGS TO FIX THEM. LIKE… RELATIONSHIPS!” Toriel stopped mid bite, her mouth held open. Sans was shocked. Papyrus quickly realized his mistake, “OH NO! I’M SO SORRY MISS TORIEL. I DIDN’T THINK-”

Toriel laughed. “Oh, it’s fine Papyrus. Don’t worry about, it’s in the past. That just… took me off guard, is all.” She offered her plate to the tall skeleton. “Could you make me another plate of spaghetti please?”

“OH! UM, OF COURSE! ANYTHING FOR A FRIEND,” he said, grabbing the plate with vigor and turned back to the stove.

She smiled, “Thank you,” before looking down at her hands. That saying was rather true, sometimes breaking things worse makes them easier to fix. Detuning an instrument makes the margin of error less to get it to the right pitch, especially when trying not to snap a string. Starting over on a hard problem always helped you solve it. The famous ‘Try unplugging it and plugging it back in again’ has worked countless many times. Was it true of relationships as well? Could wounds be mended and feelings unbroken?

Sans nudged her side, taking her from her thoughts, “hey... pap didn’t mean anything by that… he’s just a bit of a bone head at times. he was-”

Toriel interrupted him. “Oh, it’s alright. It was just unexpected.” His smiled looked a little worried. “It’s fine. I’m fine. Don’t worry about little old me, Sans. I think you should eat something, you seem rather peckish.”

“heh, i’ll be fine. i’m big boned as it is, no need to pack on the pounds.” His smile seemed more relaxed.

Toriel chuckled, “Whatever you say.”

~~~

The cafe that Gerson chose to meet up at was rather nice. It was small, only a few patrons taking up booths and seats, hushed talk and the sound of mugs and plates filling the air. The old duo chose to sit outside, the shady patio offering a rather nice view of the nearby river, plenty of large trees green and lively. Gerson leaned back in his chair, sipping at his tea. Asgore tried his best to not fall out of his.

The old king stirred the dark tea in his cup, the steam slowly rising. “So,” he asked, “how has the surface been treating you, Gerson?”

The old turtle set down his cup. “So far so good! The only complaint that I have is that I was wrinkly enough before all of this sun came and dried me out!” He laughed, rocking slightly in his chair, “How about you, old Fluffybuns, the surface treating you like royalty?”

“Oh hoho,” chuckled Asgore, “I wouldn’t say like Royalty, but it’s been nice. Frisk is making it better than I could ever imagine.”

“Sounds good,” said the old monster, pointing at a stray flower in Asgore’s beard, “I can see that she’s convinced you on a few beauty tips, hmm?” A blush graced Asgore’s cheeks as he reached for the spot he missed, “Waha, I’m glad you have a daughter again, Asgore. She’s doing wonders for ya.”

“She sure is, making things a lot better than I thought it would be,” he sighed happily, “She called me ‘Dad’ not too long ago. I think that has been the happiest I have been in a while.”

Gerson took a long sip at his drink, his face turning somewhat serious, “Asgore, lemme ask you something...” Asgore nodded, “Are you happy?” The question hit Asgore like a truck. He felt good, he was enjoying tea with an old friend, had a daughter at home who loved him, plenty of friends and loving subjects. Was he happy though?

In his own head, he should be. He didn’t have a reason to be sad. “I-I suppose so.”

“Asgore, old friend, I’ve known you longer than anyone else. We’ve been friends for practically forever. I’ve seen your high points and low points, times when you’re head over heels and when you have everything locked down. You can be honest with me.”

He wanted to scream the name, the one he loved, the one he cursed, the one he shared many lifetimes with. “I miss her so much, Gerson.” He stared down into the mug, his reflection rippling and looking back up at him, “So, so much.”

Gerson sighed, and put a wrinkled hand on his friend’s arm, “I don’t doubt it. It was disgusting how cute you were together, you could almost taste the love in the air.” He looked wistfully up at the air, “I was convinced I’d be a bachelor forever, thinking that falling in love was a joke. Live life rolling through the punches, don’t settle down. Though, seeing you two together made me a heartthrob, and even though it was a bit of a relief not have to see another nose nuzzle at the royal banquets, I knew I would never be able to feel the way you did, ever.

“When I realized that I wanted that closeness, that bond with someone else, it was far too late. I’m a gnarled old geezer, with a bad eye and a mean sense of humor,” he chuckled, “But you, you are still in your prime! You could probably hitch any girl you wanted! You’re strong, you’re kind, you’re royal, and a ginormous fluffball for God’s sake! I bet you anyone would want a piece of you.”

Asgore’s gaze didn’t break from his reflection, “It wouldn’t be the same…” he mumbled. He wanted to cry, but he couldn’t. Not now, it would just make things worse.

“I know it wouldn’t be, but sometimes that’s for the best. Heck, maybe they’ll be even better!” Gerson threw his arms up, exclaiming, “‘You never know if you don’t try’ is what I always say! Being this old let’s you try a lot of things, let me tell you.”

Asgore looked up from his drink, a small smile on his lips, “I would know,” he chuckled, “I’m older that you.”

“Not by that much! Plus you don’t even act it! Do you even OWN a cane?” Both of them laughed, their spirits lifting from the rather serious talk. “Asgore, as being your oldest, and best friend, I just want you to know that I’m always rooting for ya, no matter what you choose. Don’t forget about the people who care about you. Me, Frisk, Undyne, Al, we’re all here for you.”

Asgore got up, pushing his chair back under the table, “Thank you, Gerson. I’ll remember that.”

The old monster smiled, “Of course! Just take care of yourself, I think even Toriel would want you to do that.” Asgore nodded. “Oh! And one more thing.”

“Yes?” asked Asgore, turning before leaving.

“Are you gonna finish that?” He pointed at the untouched tea, not even a sip taken.

“Hmm, I suppose I should.” He sat back down. “I guess I can stay a while longer.”

~~~

Frisk sat up from the couch, the marathon over. She rubbed her eyes, Asgore still away. Her phone buzzed, Asgore announcing that he was gonna be out a little bit later. She didn’t really mind, as long as he was happy.

She explored the house, though there was much to explore. It was ridiculously tiny, only two bedrooms and two baths, a main room which contained the kitchen and living room, along with the foyer. There was a room off to the side for laundry that also led into a single car garage. She looked around, noticing nothing much of interest. The bookshelves contained nothing worth reading or held any pictures worth looking at. The walls were a dirty beige color, which wasn’t that appealing. On the piano sat a planted with a single little flower, red in color and a nice break of scenery. One thing that she did notice was that it was primarily dusty. The books didn’t seem to be touched since they were placed on the shelves.

The kitchen was plain, simple white tiling and basic cupboards, the fridge was neatly organized and the stove was clean. In any other house, this wouldn’t be peculiar, but knowing Asgore, this was far from that. His kitchen back in New Home was rather messy, crumpled up attempts at recipes, a fridge with barely any room for food since snails took up most of the space. The stove was rather dirty, attempts at pies sometimes leaving remnants on the walls and floor of the furnace. Something was off, and Frisk was determined to find out what. 

She stood at the last place to be explored: The Door to Asgore’s room.


	8. Memories

The heavy door opened with a creak, somehow even the hinges seemed old. The room was monochromatic, and in the same setup as Asgore’s room in New Home, though a few bookshelves, a TV and a small chair occupied some empty space. It was boring, but similarly so. It wasn’t a drab attempt like the dirty white on the walls of the rest of the house. It was a simple grey, with other contrasting greys. A single window was on the western wall, on the chest of drawers next to the sill was a single flower pot, a lonely buttercup stood in the ceramic, the yellow-gold adding a spark of color to the otherwise boring room. Next to the pot was a green plastic watering can, shaped similarly to a dragon.

One thing that Frisk noticed nearly immediately was that everything seemed… dusty. Nothing was moved much, and it seemed Like Asgore spent as little time as he could in the room. It seemed to unsettle as she entered the room, as if they knew she shouldn’t be there. She walked carefully over to his writing desk, his journal open to today’s page. She ran her hand across the oaken surface, a thick layer of dust sticking to her hand.

She noticed today’s date written on the page, ‘Nice Day Today!’ Was written next to it in Asgore usual loopy scrawl, though something seemed off. She looked at past logs, the same three words written over and over again, dating way back. Though, the ‘N’ seemed… forced, as if he couldn’t write the word at first. It varied from day to day, but was still present to back when he reached the Surface. She tried not to think about it too much, moving onto the next thing to look at.

The bookshelves seemed nearly empty, the wooden frame caked in dust and the books lying about unorderly, some dustier than others. Old leather-bound tomes were pressed neatly against the shelf, all of them devoid of any dust. They had no title, and seemed older than even Asgore. The spines were cracked, though they still held strong. Light claw marks and small amounts of wear was on the covers. She recognized one, he read it to her one night as a goodnight story.

She shook her head, moving on to the one window, the only source of light in the room. The flower stared out towards the horizon, the neighboring houses blocking it’s view. It looked oddly sad, though Frisk couldn’t place why. She picked up the watering can, the water sloshing in the plastic container, it felt about half full. She sprinkled a small amount of water over the golden petals, the flower seeming to perk up a little bit. She smiled, setting it down and opening the first drawer.

It looked no different than it did in New Home, though new articles of clothes fit for the climate of the surface now occupied some of the space. Robes, button up shirts, a few sweaters… and Asgore’s old pink ‘Mr. Dad Guy’ sweater, not a wrinkle in sight. It hadn’t been moved in a while, probably not since the move. It looked soft, and the perfect size for the Dad Guy, though he never wore it. Frisk looked behind her, the ‘Nose Nuzzle Champs ‘98!’ not in it’s usual place.

She looked through the wardrobe next to her, the doors creaking in protest as she opened them. It was cluttered, as if he just threw things he didn’t need, or perhaps didn’t want to see, in there. His Santa Claus outfit was crumpled on the bottom, all wrinkled and worthless. She grabbed the getup, noticing the Nose Nuzzling trophy hidden under it, along with a picture frame.

It was a macaroni art of a flower, ‘For King Dad!’ written on the bottom in childlike handwriting. Frisk faltered, setting the frame down gently. What was she doing? Why was she going through these relics of Asgore’s that he obviously didn’t want anybody to see. Sure, she had already seen them before, but now… it seemed wrong.

She shook her head, moving back to the door, it didn’t feel right to do this. On her way out, past the TV, something caught her foot, making her stumble and fall forward. She looked at the culprit, the corner of a cardboard box poking out from next to the chair near the TV. That wasn’t there last time she was in his room. 

‘Leave, don’t do it,’ she said to herself, ‘this isn’t right.’ She didn’t listen, moving over to see the contents. In black marker was simply written, ‘Good Days.’ Slowly, she opened it up, but what was inside surprised her.

There were several VHS tapes. She didn’t recognise these in the True Lab, those were labeled as if they were from a crime scene, ‘Tape 1,’ and ‘Tape 2.’ Oddly enough, these had two separate labels both much more sentimental and seemed like care was taken into the name. One was older than the other, the handwriting different on each. The older ones were dates, written in what seemed like Toriel’s handwriting, ‘Summer 01,’ ‘The Big Day 02,’ and the second label seemed shoehorned on, as if they were an afterthought, in Asgore’s usual scrawl, though they were oddly named, ‘The Big Announcement,’ ‘The Happiest Day of My Life.’

They had obvious wear, as if they were used often for many, many years. They seemed to be in order, so Frisk took the first in the set. The VCR sat next to the TV, which was an old CRT. She turned the old technology on, the screen flickering to life. She pushed the tape titled “Summer ‘01; The Big Announcement’ into the slot, the picture on the screen changing.

~~~

It looked like New Home, yet in a room that Frisk had never been in before, but looked very familiar. The camera was angled at the bed, Asgore lying in his nightwear, a book in his hands.

“Gorey?” Came Toriel’s voice, from behind the camera.

He looked up from the tome. “Yes, dear? Why do you have a camera?”

“Shush!” She said, chuckling, “I have really big news… I’m pregnant.”

Asgore looked shocked, “R-Really?”

“Yes!” You could hear the absolute happiness in her voice, “You’re going to be a father.”

He was up and out of the bed in an instant, a white blur to the lens. The camera shook a bit, Toriel giggling in what was presumably an enthusiastic hug, “Golly! That… That’s amazing!” A kiss was heard, “I love you so much.”

“What should we name them?” She asked.

“Well, we don’t know if they will be a boy or a girl yet, honey.” He said, chuckling a little bit, excitement still in his voice.

“Well, we should be prepared for both. What if we have twins!”

“I don’t think I could divide all of my love between three people, Tori.” he joked, a smile on his face.

She smiled back, nuzzling him. “Dummy,” she said lovingly.

Static

~~~

The tape slid from the VHS, Frisk taking it and setting it back into the box. She took the next one in line, putting it into it’s place.

‘Fall 01; Mommy Tummy’

~~~

It was the kitchen, the main view of Toriel washing dishes, the camera was set on a counter. Asgore came into view, wrapping his arms around his wife and burying his nose into the crook of her neck. She giggled and squirmed, turning back and looking at her king.

“How’s my favorite ‘momster’ doing?” He asked, kissing her on the cheek.

She set down the sudsy plate, a quiet clink sounding from the sink, “Great, now that you’re here.” She said, kissing him back, “How was dinner?”

“Scrumptious as always, honey.” He slowly rocked on his feet, moving side to side, “Your meals are always something I look forward to.”

She chuckled, “Good answer.” Her hands returned to the soapy dishes, scrubbing off the remnants of the last meal.

“No, no, no, Tori,” he said, pushing her back, “I’ll do this, you just sit down and relax.”

She wiped her hands off with a stray towel, moving back from the sink, “Thanks Gorey, you are the sweetest.”

“I do not think I could ever take that title from you, dear.” She gave him a short kiss, “I’ll join you when I finish these.” She nodded, taking the camera from where it was resting. Yawning, she moved to the living room, sitting down in her favorite chair.

She lazily rocked in ‘Chariel’, picking up her glasses and the book she had been reading. Finding her page, she silently read through the page. After a short while, Asgore poked his head from entryway to the kitchen, moving back next to her.

Closing her book, she looked back and smiled, “That was quick.”

He matched her grin, “I just could not stand being away from you for so long.” He rested a hand on her slightly protruding belly, “How are you feeling?”

“I’m feeling perfectly fine,” she put her own hand on top of his, “I’m a bit anxious, though.”

“They say that those who are anxious are living in the future,” he chuckled, “I think that’s completely normal.”

She sighed, relaxing back into the chair further. She looked tired, yet happy.

“Oh, I think I’ve come up with a name for our son.” He said, excitement spreading across his face.

“Really?” She asked, “What is it?”

“Asriel.”

There was a short pause, “Is that just a combination of our names, Asgore?”

“N-No...”

Static

~~~

Frisk paused at the next one, her conscious taking another attack. She couldn’t tell why she wanted to watch these, why she shouldn’t just leave and turn off the TV, forget everything that she’s seen. But this awful, morbid curiosity burned inside of her, something she felt before but could ignore. This time she couldn’t.

She pushed the next tape in, ‘Summer 03, The Proudest I’ve Ever been.”

~~~

It was in the main living room, the camera in Toriel’s hands and was focused on a little ball of fluff in a green and yellow onesie. He was crawling about on the floor, his motor skills not yet fully developed.

“Come on now, I know you can do it,” said Toriel. “Come on.”

The toddler moved forward on his all fours, still a little wobbly. He took an adventurous move, bringing his arms up. The camera leaned forward, Toriel nearly gasping. Asriel stood up on his two feet, his arms out for balance. He looked unsteady, yet still happy as could be. He stuck one foot out, his body traversing forward.

“Gorey!” Toriel called, “Gorey hurry!”

Heavy footsteps were heard coming down the hall, Asgore in his dark purple robe coming in hastily to the room, “Yes? honey? Is something wrong?”

“Da!” The child yelled ecstatically, putting the one foot in front of the other. Asgore was in shock as he stared down at his son. His next step took him a bit too far out of bounds, making him tumble over, yet he giggled as he picked himself up and tried again, making his rocky way forward to the king.

Asgore was speechless, his son taking his first steps. He knelt down with wide arms, motioning the little tike forward. The face of pure cheer on both of their faces was amazing, Asriel finally making his way to his father, wrapping his tiny arms around his chest. Asgore picked the child up. Asriel laughed and threw his arms up, saying “Da!” again and again. 

Toriel chuckled, “I think he likes you, dear.”

“I think so too.”

Static

~~~

One last tape, the box now empty. Frisk took a deep breath, judging by the name… this one will probably be the most painful. The VCR whirred into life, no turning back now.

‘Spring ‘02; The Happiest Day of My Life’

~~~

The walls were sterilized white, the camera looking down at Asgore’s knee, which was nervously shaking. His hand tried to hold it still, but it wasn’t enough.

“King Dreemurr?” said a feminine voice. “You may come in, your son is expecting you.”

The door opened, Toriel was lying in the hospital bed, machines next to her. A bundle in green cloth was in her arms. She looked up at Asgore, her eyes tired but her face was calm. Asgore took slow steps to her side, the camera viewing the inside of the bundle. Asriel was in her arms, a light layer of white fuzz on his face, his eyes still shut. Asgore moved his finger in gently, stroking the newborn’s head. Asriel’s tiny paws clutched at the king’s finger. A silent bleat came from his maw.

“I think he likes you.” Toriel said, chuckling at Asgore’s fascination. “Here, hold him for a while.” She handed the babe to Asgore, who traded the camera for him.. He looked down at the child. His child. He was so giddy, so ecstatic, yet calm all the same. He was a father. All of his life, he wanted to settle down and have a family, and there it was.

“Asgore… You’re crying.”

“I’m… I’m so happy.” He said, his eyes still glued to his child, “I never thought I would love something as much as I loved you. I just want this to last forever.”

“Aw... Gorey.” Toriel said, “You’re going to make me cry.”

“I just know, that no matter what happens now, we shouldn’t be afraid of the future.

“Because... today has been the most perfect day I’ve ever seen.”

Static

~~~

Frisk sniffled. Everything made sense. His odd attitude, his odd house, his odd room. He was hiding everything from everyone, he wanted to not burden anybody with anything. Nothing meant more to him than the one family that didn’t love him. His life was nothing more than a lie, just to keep everything from falling apart.

The door opened, yellow light flooding in from the hallway, “Frisk, are you in here?” It was Asgore, “Oh, there you are! What are you…” That everything just cracked.

Frisk couldn’t hide anything, the tape was in the VCR, the other three sprawled across the floor. The TV was on, the light ringing filling the air. She was guilty, and felt awful for it.

“Oh…” was his only response.

She wanted to hug him, to bury her face in his belly and cry, tell him she was sorry, that she didn’t mean to. But she couldn’t, she was frozen. Time stood still, Asgore knew everything and so did Frisk. The world was crashing down onto their shoulders and they didn’t even try to hold it up.

“Well… I’ll just, um… take you home. Ok?” He said, not fully aware if it was him talking or not. Frisk just simply nodded, she couldn’t even look at Asgore as she did. She didn’t deserve to, not after she dug his chest open and learned everything.

She didn’t remember the car ride, or even getting in the car. She was suddenly at the driveway of Toriel’s house. “Frisk,” he said, “Please… please don’t tell Toriel. She doesn’t need to worry about me. Not with what I’ve done.”

~~~

Toriel sat on her bed, Sans and Papyrus had long been away. It wasn’t late, not by a long margin, but she felt exhausted. Her thoughts kept going back to what Papyrus said, and in turn she would keep thinking about Asgore.

She didn’t know what to think anymore. Half of her hated him, but half of her felt the opposite. Her head and her heart were torn, far worse than she had ever they ever could be. They had spent centuries together, living with one another, being almost inseparable. They ruled the Underground, functioning like a well oiled machine. He had been her first love, and she was the same for him. 

She delved even further, her feelings taking over. How they would just spend the days doing nothing, just enjoying the other’s company. How some nights they would just lay in bed, the feeling of the other him next to her, his warmth, his strength flooding into her. The ruins were cold, and no matter how much fire magic she knew she could never get rid of it.

God how she missed him, his low, calm voice. His goofy and sometimes air headed demeanor. She missed the nights when the underground began to fall into sleep, she would rest her head on his chest, his torso acting as a soft pillow. He would kiss the top of her head, sometimes her hand would twist with the soft fur on his belly, sometimes even venturing further depending on the night. She missed seeing smile, or making him laugh with a silly pun. She missed hugging him, his burly arms making her feel safer than any Royal Guard. Hell, she even missed his obnoxious snores.

She looked over her empty bed, just-about-queen-sized-yet-not-quite, it was begging for another person to join her. The memories were flooding back, especially how much he loved to cuddle. He was rather good as well.

She looked over, her phone sat on her night stand. She reached out and grabbed it. She had his number, though never had she called it, and their messages contained nothing but formalities about Frisk. She typed in, ‘Asgore, can we talk?’

Her thumb hovered over the ‘Send’ button. Should she do this? Did she miss him, or did she miss the companionship of having someone else in her life? She dropped it, burying her face into her hands.

She didn’t know anymore.

She heard the front door open, and went to investigate. Frisk was standing at the entrance, the door still open.

“Frisk? Why are you here, I thought you were staying the night with Go… Asgore.” Asked the old queen.

“Something… happened.” Said Frisk, walking over to Toriel, “Something bad.” The child buried her face into Toriel’s robe.

Her worry turned to anger for an instant. “What did he do?” There was venom in her voice, yet she didn’t mean to ask it aloud.

“It-It was my fault. Don’t blame him.” She said, her voice breaking as tears formed in her eyes. “He- He didn’t do anything, I went- I went and…”

“Shhh, shhh, It will be alright, my child.” What did Asgore do? “Can you tell me what happened?”

“I-I promised not to tell.”

What did Asgore do? “Why not?”

“He d-doesn’t want you to worry about him. I… I opened up some old wounds that probably shouldn’t have been opened.”

Toriel didn’t know what to think, “Well, we’ll talk more about it in the morning, come on. Do you want to sleep with me tonight?” She offered. Frisk nodded meekly, taking her mother’s hand, and going to bed.

~~~

Asgore looked down at his crown, the metal shining in the dim light of his room. It seemed so light now, but he could still feel the weight on his head. It was imple, just a ornate ring of gold, though it may as well have been of lead. He rubbed his neck, the imaginary strain and knots it caused felt so real. For all of those years, he held his head high with that on his head, though every day it got harder. It plagued his mind, grief and bitterness showing their ugly faces sometimes when he let his guard down. He would snap at guards without meaning to, and be rude to his subjects. The thing was poisoning him, yet it was all in his head.

He looked at it closer, it was thin, easily breakable. His frown furrowed, his hands shaking. He wanted badly to let the anger take over, destroy the thing that fueled it. To do something reckless and impulsive, if only once in his life. It would be so easy, his hands could snap it, mold it, turn it into an expensive ball of nothing.

He looked into the open wardrobe, the memorabilia still in view. He could imagine the pink sweater, how easy it could burn, the soft thread and memories just fuel to the endless flame. It was almost funny, really. How easy things could turn into nothing.

But no one was laughing.

Something finally snapped in his chest, something primal and hidden. The feelings he had been bottling up finally broke, torrents of raw emotion flooding in his torso. He felt like he was in a tsunami, gasping, sputtering, flailing to get his head above the waves, to not give up and drown in the sadness. Though it was draining and never ending, only a matter of time until it didn’t matter.

He didn’t know what to feel anymore, so he only felt numb.

~~~

Toriel sped down the hallway, opening the door. Soft light made the room light up slightly, though it was still too dark to see. Heavy sobs filled the room from Asgore. They were wails of pure sadness they seemed to shake the room, as well as his silhouette.

She wrapped her arms around him, “Shhh,” she shushes, trying to calm him, “Asgore. Asgore, please, I’m here. Calm down, please.”   
His cries continued, but were not at all as loud. She continued to shush him, and he slowly calmed down, silent sobs wracking his body.

“It’s all okay, don’t worry.” She said, pulling him tighter into the hug, “I’m here for you.”

His body rested, and his arms wrapped back around hers. Everything was still. Perfectly still.

Static

~~~

The tape slid out, Asgore releasing the eject button from under his finger. He took it in his hands delicately, as if it was made of glass. He looked down at the label, ‘For when I’m not there but you need me. -Love Tori.’

He chuckled a smile on his lips, “If she knew I still had these, she’d never forgive me.”

His laughing stopped, and his smile began to crumble. The letters smeared slightly as tears fell onto the tag, the tape trembling in his hands.

“God, I’m pathetic.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Fic is just about to a close.  
> The final part is coming up next, and some minor afterparts. I hope you enjoyed the ride.

Asgore’s eyes flickered open, weak sunlight filtering into his monochromatic room. He didn’t remember falling to sleep, and he didn’t feel anymore rested. The whole of yesterday seemed like a blur, though the second half was in slow motion. He looked down, his tapes strewn across the carpet and his crown lay on its side, as useless as always.

He was leaned up against his door, his shoulders slumped and his arms limp against his body. He didn’t feel like he could move. He felt numb, as if paralyzed by his thoughts. His mouth tasted like cotton, his tongue thick and useless, his eyes were slightly squinted.

He didn’t know what to feel, so he didn’t feel anything at all.

Two knocks sounded on the door, rousing him from his semi-conscious state. He sat in silence, hoping that the person would go away. He didn’t want to talk to anyone in a while. 

Another two raps on the door. Asgore sighed, and said, “What?” His voice didn’t feel like his.

“come on,” said Sans from the other side, “that’s not how you respond to two knocks in a row. you say, ‘who’s there’, right?” He knocked on the door for emphasis.

“Sans, I’m in no mood for jokes.”

“oh, come on. just trying to lift your spirits.” He knocked again

The old King sighed, “Who’s there?” 

“orange.”

“Orange who?”

“orange you glad i knocked first?” Sans said, winking audibly. Asgore chuckled, his spirits rejoining him slightly. “see, told you it would work.”

“I suppose so. Though I must ask, I didn’t take you for the ‘breaking and entering’ type.”

“technically it was just entering, the front door was open. it just seemed like you needed someone to talk to.” He chuckled. “i heard about what… um, happened last night.” The skeleton sat back against the door on his side.

Asgore took an unsteady breath. “Yeah… last night was something, alright.” He wanted to punch the floor, dent it, hurt it. “God, I’m so stupid.”

“it wasn’t entirely your fault,” said Sans, “can’t beat yourself up over it.”

“It is entirely my fault.” He was getting angry and didn’t know why, “I was the reason I kept those tapes. Why the underground suffered, why my children died, why Tori- why she left me.” He voice wavered, shaking with grief, “I deserve it. I deserve all of it.” A hole in the wall, he could make it so easily. Just a quick jab, his strength well more than enough to do it. He wanted to bend and break, to crack, to mangle. But he couldn’t. He didn’t. He didn’t deserve it. There was a elongated pause, the only sound was of the clock, which ticked like a dripping faucet.

“asgore.”

The King didn’t respond.

“i know you don’t know me too well, but… you can talk to me. i’m a good listener.

“it’s not healthy to bottle this stuff up.”

Asgore took another breath, “O-Okay.

“I just miss her. I miss my family. She’s the only person that will ever understand what I’m going through. They were her kids too, and- and I needed her for as long as I can remember. The pain that I’ve went through, it was so hard to bear.

“I don’t blame her for leaving, that night… I wasn’t who I usually was. God, the look on her face. She looked absolutely terrified. Terrified of me. I couldn’t live with myself for the longest time, just from the look she gave me. I couldn’t live with myself for being the monster that scared her. What kind of monster am I to yell and scream at my wife? To force her to leave me? She was the one who should have ruled, I should have been the one to be exiled.”

He sighed, “But there I was, the king in his castle under the mountain. Humph, may as well had been the Jester, I’m no ruler. Toriel was the one that ran everything, everyone knew that. Gerson tried his best to help… but it just wasn’t enough. ‘Heavy is the head that holds this crown...’ cliches are cliches for a reason.

“There were so many days where I justed wanted to throw it all away. Call off the hunt, say that the war is over, call it quits. Maybe it was hopefulness, maybe Tori would forgive me and come back because I realized I was being an idiot. Maybe I was just tired of it myself. I cannot remember. But day after day, I couldn't find the courage to stop it. I couldn't walk up to the podium, and announce to every single one of my people that we have to stop. I was scared. Scared that they would revolt, scared that they would hate me. How their time was wasted chasing these children to even grasp for a chance for freedom, if not for them, for their children. 

“Countless wasted lives, all because I was scared.

“Sleep was rare then, I wouldn’t be able to dream without seeing her, her being scared, her being angry with me, her cursing me and leaving, never to be seen again. Some nights I could barely sleep a wink, my mind racing and my thoughts off of the wall. I would be up until the wee hours in the night, only exhaustion taking me into a dreamless sleep, morning coming far too early. That was… until Alphys became the scientist.

“The girl is brilliant. You can give her something, a weapon, a tool, a toy, a piece of technology, anything she could get her claws on, and by the next day she would have the schematics for it, and it would be even better. She would scour the dump and find things. Small things, big things, all sorts of the things that the Humans would throw away. She would take them and make them for monster-kind. Luxuries that would only be available for few became commonplace in most homes. It was amazing!

“Well, she would also sometimes find their medicines. Most of which would have no effect on monsters, since we had no real physical matter, as you should know. But, some of their fix-alls were for emotional stress. Depression, chemical imbalances, hormone problems. She managed to find a way to make them work for monsters, drawing parallels where she could. They were little miracles in a pill bottle, helping monster to monster.

“Well she heard about how I would have awful sleep trouble, and found a way to make a sleeping pill that would actually work for monsters. She gave me the ‘prototype’ and... boy, did they work. One right before bed and I would be out like a light, and for the first time since 201X I had a full night’s sleep. I couldn’t believe it when I woke up.

“But the best part was, I could actually dream. I would dream and dream and dream, and they weren’t surreal, or ‘off.’ They were vivid, almost life-like. I could feel these amazing emotions and remember most of everything!”

"I would see her! A-and Asriel! I-I couldn't believe at first. I could talk to them, feel them, hold them, make them laugh! Some days I couldn't wait for bed.” His voice shook slightly with emotion.

"I felt so happy... so free. Like a weight was being lifted off of my chest and I could breathe again! I could hold my son, feel his little heart beat and play with my prince, watch him grow up and be the father he needed. I could snuggle up against Tori, feel her soft, warm presence, her silky fur against mine. We would kiss, and nuzzle and cuddle, do all of the things we used to do. Embarrass our kids, drive Gerson crazy, be stupidly and disgustingly cute. I-I could imagine her loving me again, and everything would be fine. Everything would be perfect. I would even dream of just sharing the bed with her, listening to the imaginary snores, knowing that she was safe and next to me. I wanted nothing more than that.

"But then I would wake up, and have it all crash back down." He took another deep breath. “I just missed her so much… I would have done anything to get her back.”

“jeez, that sounds… awful.”

Asgore chuckled. “Ha, yeah it was. It got progressively better, and I was able to lean off of them to actually get sleep, but I never got the same dreams as I did. I was tempted to take one, just one, just to see her one more time… But it wouldn’t be right.”

He chuckled sadly, “If she knew I did any of this… Toriel would kill me.”

They both laughed. “guess i won’t tell her then.” Sans joked, “you’re a pretty alright guy, i’d miss you if you died.”

“Hoho, that means a lot, thanks,” laughed Asgore. “Really does.”

“you’re welcome, heh.” Sans breathed deep, “look, i’m not the guy known to be serious, but... asgore, it seems like you have two choices. pick a god and pray and hope that toriel takes you back, or you gotta give up the ghost and find someone else to help you ease the pain and that loves you as much as toriel did. hopefully the choice doesn’t ‘haunt’ you.”

A weak laugh fell from Asgore’s lips, “No simple fix-all? Should have known.”

“heh, i wish. there’s a saying that i used to always say to myself, you might’ve heard it. ‘those who have regret live in the past,’ or something like that.” Sans chuckled, “seems to be very relevant for both of our cases.”

“Y-yeah, I know of it. ‘Those who have regret live in the past, those who are anxious… live in the future, and those who are content are living in the present.’” He sighed, “And yes, it is very relevant. I just wish things were so much simpler.”

“life is never simple, and love is even worse i guess. just seems like those are the two smart choices. up to you on what you want to do.” He got up, a few of his bones cracking and popping back into place, “well it’s high time for me to go, it’s pretty early and i’m not big on being part of the ‘skeleton’ crew. plus, i have a lot of nothing to do today, and that starts in a few. sorry to leave so soon, fluffybuns.”

Asgore got up as well, his body still half asleep, “Oh, it’s no problem Sans, I’m glad you came anyway.

“And... thanks. This really helped.”

~~~

“Asgore…” moaned Toriel, “Oh, please-please don’t… don’t stop.” She shuddered under the covers, her body shaking and a blush furious on her sleeping face. Her eyes were scrunched, the Asgore in her dreams driving her mad.

“Asgore I’m… I’m-” Her eyes shot open, her mind finally catching up with what it was dreaming. She felt regret and shame heavy make a pit in her stomach like a stone. Disgust rose up her throat, her mind racing to catch up and make excuses. She felt sick. Sick with everything, sick with herself and sick with Asgore. Sick with the Underground and with the Surface. She was both ill and awful, and couldn’t get these thoughts out of her head.

She missed him so much, his soft gentle touch that was firm when and where it needed to be, his ever so dark brown eyes, his arms, his legs, his chest, his head, everything in between. His floppy ears and proud horns, his stupid indecisiveness and his sweet words. His golden beard that was just soft enough, but still scratchy to make her giggle. His luxurious coat that she could lose herself in, and the gorgeous blonde fur that graced his stark white coat. She missed his body, and missed his soul.

She hated him, his cowardice and murder. His extension of everyone’s suffering and the false hope. How he made everything worse and stopped six lives short, preaching war and revenge and hate. How he made her leave, how the last thing she saw of him before her exile was not the monster she married, but a twisted beast in his clothing, writhing and clawing in his warped skin. He was not the man she loved, and never would be.

Or was he? Had he changed? Was he the Asgore from so many years ago? Did she need him, or did she just need someone in her life. She was being torn in half, the bones cracking and sinew tearing, her fur stained and her organs all out of whack. A civil war in her stomach, a revolt in her lungs. An infection was spreading, though it wasn’t a virus. She didn’t feel well.

She felt sick.

She wanted to scream. To curse. To punch, kick, go for low blows on the bastard called life. She felt like she had myxomatosis, things under her skin, things on her skin. Stuck to her, her fur growing heavy. Her brains getting scattered. A wolf was at the door, threatening her, and her family. Telling her the ways he’s going to mess her up. Nothing she could do could stop him.

She felt like she was falling. Falling from queenship. Falling in love. Falling from heaven and meeting the perfect person. Falling from his arms. Falling from the perfect life under the Earth. Falling from yesterday, falling even further in the past. Falling out of her skin, and into something that was two sizes too tight. Tension, tension, tension. She couldn’t take it. Pills falling from a bottle. She didn’t want to fall from anything, she just wanted a simple life. 

A happy life.

She wanted to know what happened last night, what Asgore did, what Frisk did, what left her child so numb. Why Asgore didn’t come in to explain. Why he didn’t want her to worry about him. Was he okay? Did he need help, someone to wipe his tears and hold him tight? Did he deserve it, should she come? She wanted to yell these questions to the stars, to the sun, to someone with answers. She wanted answers.

Answers she had to get herself.

“Mom?” asked Frisk, who had woken up. “Mom, are you okay?”

No. “Yes, I’m fine, dear.” She yawned, “Why do you ask?”

Her shoulders were jacked up, her eyes open wider than normal, her blood pressure above average. Her hands were clenched and her knuckles whiter than her natural color, her short claws digging into the heel of her palm. Her teeth were grinding together. “You look… tense.”

Toriel rubbed her eyes and fixed most of the facts on the list, “I have just been… thinking about hard topics, Frisk. Sorry to alarm you.”

There was short pause, Frisk looked down. “You’re worried about Asgore.”

Yes. “No. I’m just worried about myself, my child. I need to sort some things out.”

She needed a solution, to figure out if she needed him. Some sort of deus ex machina, an intervention, some divine intervention to solve everything, to clear her mind and find that solution. To figure out the answer to all of these questions.

She needed answers.


	10. The Finale

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Garden Comes to an End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks a whole bunch to KiloZombie for helping me a shit ton

Tap tap tap. Asgore tapped his foot, in beat, in rhythm. Counting down every second until his date would show up. It had only taken him a few days to follow the advice given and to find a date, but those were days filled with worry and anxiety. He was nervous in his nice shirt and tie, though not because it was a new person, a new face, a new someone in his life, but because it wasn’t Toriel. 

He was worried that he wouldn't love her because it wasn’t Toriel. He was scared that he would love her because she wasn’t Toriel. Endless meetings flashed through his head, him slipping up somewhere in the middle each time. A stutter here, an awkward movement there, something was going to go wrong, he could feel it coming up.

He looked around the semi-crowded building, taking a nervous sip of the ice-water that the waiter had provided. It was a new corner in town, a combination of a fancy diner and a night club. A well stocked bar, live music, good food and nice labor. It was the perfect place for a date, several couples, varying from young and old all either enjoying their meals or dancing with their lover in their arms. He felt out of place, a seven foot monster sitting in a seat two sizes too small, or so it felt. He wished he was smaller.

Just then, the door opened, his date walking into the dimly lit welcoming area. She was the old librarian from the Snowdinn Library, the sign lovingly naming it “Librarby.” She was a simple woman. She loved books, and a warm cup of cocoa during a cold night. She opened her own library in town, the typo still remained, Librarby still written in red letters on a yellow sign. Humans came and learned some of the history about monsters, since none remained on the surface.

She wore a simple dress, freshly ironed and of a simple, light orange dress. It was very modest, the frill ending far below her knees. She looked around, before finding the not-easy-to-miss King of All Monsters sitting at a table for two. 

Sitting down, she joined him, taking a sip of her own water. Her name was Meredith, a very not simple name, but it rolled off of the tongue nice enough. He greeted her, pulling her seat of for her, pushing it in without mistake.

He put on a polite smile. “Howdy, Meredith.”

She smiled back. “Oh please, Asgore. Just call me Merry.”

That was a simple name, “Okay, Merry, how are you doing this fine evening?”

“I’ve been doing well. Nothing much has been going on,” she chuckled, “Libraries aren’t the most exciting places.” She spoke simply, maybe Asgore was worrying about nothing.

“Excitement is better in small doses, or at least it seems that way,” he said, chuckling. “And a good book can be the be the most exciting thing you can find.”

 

“Oh I know!” She sighed wistfully, “Books are… they’re just…”

“Great?”

“No-no, that’s too simple,” she said. “Simple is boring! Sometimes you need something to spice things up, do stuff for no reason. A rising action, a climax, a resolution! Something has to happen for a story to be ‘good.’”

“I’ve had plenty of ‘somethings’ in my long life, let me tell you.” And his life hadn’t been to ‘good.’ Or ‘grand’ or ‘exquisite’ or ‘entrancing,’ or any other word that ‘isn’t too simple.’’ ’It was elongated, grueling. He didn’t want excitement or change. He wanted something simple, a bit of normalcy in the craziness that was life. He wanted just a calm day, gardening in the sun, sipping on tea with someone he cared about. Someone he loved and longed for.

His wants and thoughts were interrupted, the waiter walking up, offering each a menu, “Good evening, what would the lovely couple wish to drink?”

“Water’s fine, thank you,” she said, sifting through the choices for dinner. 

‘Oh, now she wanted simple,’ he thought, picking up his own book, “Iced tea, please.” The waiter scribbled down the order.

“Ok, I’ll be back momentarily with your drink, sir.” He left the two, she had her nose buried between the pages. She began to talk, not sure if it was meant to be at him, or if she was just talking to herself. He caught a few words, mainly complaints, “Cambria? What kind of menu has Cambria as the main font, it’s not appealing. The color of the font doesn’t even complement the color of the page! What kind of restaurant…” Needless to say, he lost attention. He looked around, not knowing exactly what he was looking for. Then he saw her.

He couldn’t believe it, there she was, her stark white fur sticking out in the crowd, the opposite side of the restaurant. She was sitting with what looked like a bear, though she seemed not all too interested in what he was saying. Her dress was simple, yet still elegant, a nice light green, just colorful enough to catch the eye. It rested just at her knees, flowing up to her top, her shoulders bare, sans the straps. She wore minimal make up, her fur looked perfect. God, she was beautiful.

She turned, their eyes meeting. He blushed, quickly turning away and hoping she didn’t notice his gawking. He took a quick glance, she was still looking at him. He offered a small smile, and she returned it, her hand going up in a small wave. A small, shaky wave. Was she as uncomfortable here as him? No, that couldn’t be it. She had already moved on, a long time ago. Right?

~~~

Toriel couldn’t stand her date. His ‘humor,’ his way of talking, his demeanor. He dressed nicely, his fur clean, his hygene top notch. But, if she heard anymore of his ‘Political Know-How” she might ‘accidentally’ singe his stupid brown fur.

He wasn’t necessarily mean, per se. It was just that his humor was completely satirical and sarcastic. Sometimes, Toriel couldn't even tell if he was being serious or not. She hoped that she would lighten up, or that he would turn out to be a nice guy by the end of the date.

She looked at her menu, her date talking about walls and how ‘Thaaaaaaaaaat’s politics!’ She so wanted to yell out, ‘No! That’s not at all how politics work! It’s an intricate system of checks and balances, making sure not one person could control the lives of others.’ Something to put him into place, to shut him and his wise mouth up. Get into an argument and show him what for. But she kept her mouth shut, hoping that the date would at least sail smoothly.

Taking a sip from her glass, she looked around the diner. Couples were spending time together, loving each other, loving the food and the music. The music was some odd rock band, playing quietly on the stage on the far side of the club part of the place. The music sounded quietly through the dining area, songs of love and want filling the patrons’ ears. It was rather off for dinner music, but fitting in perfectly with her mood.

Her eyes caught his white coat, his horns recently buffed and golden beard trimmed neatly. Asgore. Seeing him here made her bitter-sweet mood all the more bitter, wishing the buffoon she was sharing dinner with wasn’t that bear. Their eyes met, him looking away quickly. She continued her stare, knowing he would turn back. He did, her prediction on the nose, their gaze seemed to last for a fraction of a second and for an eternity all at once. She put up a shaky hand, which he smiled at. Sighing, she took another sip of water and let the music flow through her her. She was hoping he was having a better time than she was.

Asgore turned his head back to the menu, now he couldn’t get his mind off of Toriel. She was absolutely gorgeous, and in the most simple of ways. He tried to focus on the music, but that was of no help, the sad tones and morose lyrics just fueling his thoughts further.

“Hello?” his date huffed.

He shook his head, as if coming out of a trance, “Wh-what?”

“I asked you a question.”

“Oh, s-sorry. I was just… listening to the music is all.”

“Sure,” she said, obviously not happy with his behavior. “Uh huh.”

“What?” He cursed himself.

“I saw you ogling your ex. Is that the only reason you agreed to go on this date?”

“N-No! Of course not!” he said, desperately trying to save his sinking ship.

“Uh huh, yeah, sure,” she said, storming off from the table. He got up, reaching a hand out to keep her from going, trying to say something, but the words just simply didn’t come out. He watched as she left, the door jingling as it shut. Covering his face, he sat back down, sighing. Stupid, stupid stupid, he thought to himself. “Guess I do mess everything up,” he said, burying his face in his hands.

Toriel watched as he sat, sullen and sad. She oh-so wanted to run to him and pick him up, offering her strength to his. The other half of her heart had some awful happiness off of seeing him. Some cruel form of bliss from seeing someone else fail. Her thoughts and conflictions were interrupted, a sharp, sudden pain at her thigh. She nearly leaped out of her seat, the chuckling face of the bear.

“What the hell is wrong with you?!” she seethed, trying her best to hold her composure.

“What? You’re cute when you’re upset,” he said, snickering. She stammered and blushed, opening her mouth to speak, though being interrupted, “Oh, ‘bluh bluh bluh.’ You’re such a hothead, I just wanted a little bit of fun.”

“Why I never!” She nearly yelled, grabbing her purse and leaving, not turning back to look at her ‘date.’ He probably said something, something stupid and in his form of humor, but she didn’t care. She simply didn’t care.

Asgore watched as she stormed off, wanting to deep-fry her date for making her run off. He didn’t deserve her, not at all. The King sighed again, wanting to follow her and comfort her, hug her from behind and make her feel alright again, but he knew that he shouldn’t. She wouldn’t want that.

His attention turned, the bar becoming ever so enticing. He shrugged, having nothing better to do and meandered over to the nearest bar stool, sitting down and sinking into the cushion on top. A cat monster with the nametag ‘BP’ in lazy handwriting walked over, polishing a shot glass.

He looked the king over. “Need a drink, little… er, big buddy?” The king asked for a Virgin Mary, he rarely if ever drank, and he just didn’t like the taste of it. “You got it, coming right up.” Asgore watched as the bartender grabbed the makings, tomato juice, tabasco, worcester sauce, a healthy stalk of celery and a carrot. In what seemed instant, the drink was prepared, Asgore taking the glass and taking a hearty sip.

He had always loved Virgin Maries, they were insanely refreshing, and the tanginess was a great bonus, spicy foods being among his favorites. He dunked the carrot, taking a crunchy bite from the vegetable. He sighed as he set down the cup, looking in the crowd. Not a sight of Toriel.

“Something on your mind, buddy?” asked Burgerpants, who was still polishing the glass.

“Hmm?” Asked Asgore, “Oh, no. It’s nothing.”

The barkeep set down his work, “That sigh sure didn’t sound like ‘nothing.’”

Asgore chuckled, “I guess not. It’s just… a long story is all. Plus, do you really want an emotional boss monster you have to clean up for after?”

Burgerpants motioned at the empty bar, “I’ve got plenty of time left on this shift. And you act as if I haven’t seen weirder.”

“I would guess so,” Asgore laughed, “Well, I’ve been down in the low recently. I miss my wife, well I’m not sure if she’s my wife anymore, and wish we could be back together. But, I don’t think she’ll love me again. I tried dating to help get over her… but things didn’t go at all as planned. I just screw everything up.” He took another long drink, setting down the glass and looking at his reflection on the polished bar.

Burgerpants took out a box of cigarettes, taking one for himself and offering one to Asgore, which he kindly rejected. Asgore noticed a ‘No Smoking’ sign next to the liquor cabinet, which BP was blissfully unaware of, “Listen, buddy. The world is shitty. Life is shitty. There’s no doubt about it, and you, having lived for a long, long time, know that far too well. But you gotta make the best of it. Every choice I’ve ever made has been a mistake. I’m 19, and for most of my life I went to highschool, dropped out, and worked at a deadend job under a boss I hated with every ounce of dust I was worth. 

Now look at me! I work at a high end, trendy bar in downtown on the freakin’ surface, where I get to bullshit all day and talk to random drunks. I get tipped for talking to random people and getting their drinks out quicker than they can down ‘em. Life can only go up, my friend, just remember that.”

Asgore laughed, “I feel like every choice I’ve made in a while has been a mistake.”

“That’s the spirit!” He said, the cigarette bobbing in his mouth, “You just gotta wait for the good times.” He squinting at the shot glass he had been polishing, “Hold on, I’ll be right back.” He went into a back door, leaving Asgore on his own. He swirled his drink, watching the red cyclone against the glass. He took another bite of the garnish, listening to the music.

The sound of someone sitting down to his right made him turn, but the sight nearly made him spit out the food in his mouth. “T-Tori?!”

She smiled a happy smile, “Greetings.”

“I-I thought you left! What are you doing here?”

“I saw you all by yourself and thought you shouldn’t drink on your own. Plus, I could go for a drink myself.” As if on cue, Burgerpants emerged from the back room, wiping his hands off with a washcloth, “Excuse me, but may I have what he’s having. But alcoholic please.”

BP nodded, looking at Asgore, asking a silent question, which the King nodded to. The barkeep hastily made another drink, this time adding a generous shot into the mix, and giving it to the old Queen before whistling a tune and disappearing back behind his door.

The two boss monsters were left together in adjacent seats, neither knowing when or how to make the next move. Toriel took a sip of her drink, a please look spreading across her face, “Wow, this is very good!”

“Not at all as good as yours, Tori.” Asgore muttered, quickly realizing what he said. “Oh! Toriel, I-I’m so sorry! I don’t know wh-”

“It’s okay, Asgore. It was a simple mistake. Plus, Tori’s easier to say anyway,” she said, taking another sip. 

There was a short pause.

“And... thanks, that was nice of you.” Asgore smiled, taking a drink of his own. Another silence. He wanted so bad to talk to her, but had no idea what to talk about. His moment, and now he was speechless. So much time thinking about this encounter, and now it was impossible to even say her name right. 

He was afraid of making her upset, afraid of losing her again when she was so close. He had no idea what to do with his hands, putting them on the bar, below the bar-- should he try to wrap an arm around her? He dunked his carrot, taking another bit of the garnish. Crunchy food helped him get away from his nerves. I need to get rid of these nerves and this terror and this paralyzation, or else I’ll never move again...

“So... how was, um, your day, Toriel?” he asked, putting on the biggest grin he could muster.

She looked at him top to bottom, her smile widening. “You’re really cute when you’re flustered.” He blushed, surprised, nearly falling out of his seat, and Toriel giggled. “Always have been.”

His chest swelled, though he couldn’t tell if that was his heart racing too fast or his pride dying slightly. “Th-thanks,” he sputtered, trying to come up with a response. “Y-You look very nice yourself. That’s a… um, great color on you.” His nervousness was obvious in his voice, but she didn’t mind..

She smiled, “Asgore, there is one more reason why I came back to the bar.”

The King looked up, “Yes?”

“Would you like to dance?”

His heart nearly burst, “Yes! I-I mean, of course, I would love to Tori.” He got up, finishing off his drink, “Just let me pay the tab and I’ll be off.” He dropped several gold onto the bar, counting up the price, along with a rather hefty tab.

“No need for the cash, buddy” called Burgerpants’s voice from behind the door, “Consider it on the house.”

Asgore laughed, “Golly! Thank you.” He looked at the money, “Then consider it a tip.” Asgore looked at Toriel, then at the dancefloor. It had been so long since he had danced, hopefully he wouldn’t make a fool of himself.

Toriel took his hand, something that hadn’t happened in well over a century. He was almost in disbelief, walking with with clumsy steps to the small crowd on the dance floor. She looked over her shoulder, laughing at his sloppy steps and not-too-sure movements.

The music was slow, perfectly slow as she took him into her arms, his shaky hands wrapping into hers. She led, pulling him close, and looking into his eyes. He couldn’t help but grin, becoming love drunk in seconds. He stared into her love filled rubies, his whole demeanor calming. His hands instinctively moved, tentatively wrapping them around her lower back. She was perfectly warm and soft, her hands laying atop of his. She fit against him like a jigsaw piece, her chest pressed snugly against his.

He could feel her pulse, beating softly against his. They stepped in time, muscle memory kicking back in. It was a slow, simple dance, neither a waltz nor a quickstep, and they didn’t care. They were just happy to be in each other's’ arms, swaying slowly to the music.

Asgore still felt slightly out of place, a little stiff, a step out of whack. But seeing the love in her eyes, the loving grip of her hands, everything made him feel like he snapped back into where he was supposed to be. He wanted so bad to lean forward, to press his muzzle to hers into a kiss, though he wasn’t sure if he should. 

As if reading his mind, she moved her nose forward, rubbing against his. Nostalgia overwhelmed him, memories of the Nose Nuzzle competitions all those years ago. He nuzzled back, a wide grin spreading on his lips. The time seemed right, her body language saying ‘Yes.’ He tilted his head just a little bit lower, pressing his lips against hers. They shared a kiss, a slight blush on both of their cheeks.

Nothing of the night compared. Time seemed to be frozen, their souls meeting again and joining in a loving bond. He couldn’t believe it. She felt like the Toriel he knew, and even tasted like the Toriel he knew. Her same light perfume, her same beautiful voice. Her stark white fur and her lovely figure. She was the name that he loved, the one that didn’t love him back, but now she did love him. She loved him, and he could never be happier. 

She could never be happier, she had her old love rekindled, she no longer held these awful feelings in her heart and her mind. She felt free, she felt love flowing freely from his soul to his. She had her Fluffybuns back.

The kiss broke, and they stood in each other’s arms. They swayed to the music as a unit, no longer apart. Asgore was no longer scared, for he loved Toriel and she loved him back. Toriel was no longer torn, for she had lost all resentment in her heart. 

The band onstage sang: “Who knows how long I've loved you,

“You know I love you still,

“Will I wait a lonely lifetime,

“If you want me to, 

“I will.”

~~~

Frisk sat on the couch in Toriel’s house. She didn’t know what to feel. It was getting late, and Toriel was on her date. Maybe she would come home with a man she loved, someone to make Toriel happy, remove the bags from under her eyes. Frisk didn’t know her own opinion, but she just wanted her family to be happy.

That’s all that matters, for everyone to be happy.

The main door opened, Toriel calling from the front “Frisk? I’m home. I have someone I want you to meet. I think you might know him.” The human jumped from the couch, walking up to see what her mom was talking about. The old Queen stood in the entrance, blocking Frisk’s view, “I think I finally found someone that would make a good father to you, and a good husband for me. Come on in, dearest.”

She entered the house, her date now evident to Frisk, “Howdy, Frisk!” said Asgore. “I hope you accept me as your new ‘Dad.’”

Frisk leaped into his arms, giggling and yelling gleefully. Asgore joined in, hugging the child. Toriel chuckled , “I think she likes you.”

He laughed as well, “I think so too.” He wrapped an arm around Toriel as well, making her smile.

For the first time in many a lifetime, the Dreemurrs felt whole again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to thank all of you who kudos'd, bookmarked, read or whatever. Thank you all so much for the support, and I hope you enjoyed.


	11. Epilogue

Asgore sat in the soft bed; Toriel’s bed. It felt strangely odd to sleep in the not-quite-queen-yet-very-close bed, identical to the one they used to share many, many years ago. Though it wasn’t perfectly the same, just a bit smaller, and Toriel added a bit of flair, the sheets now having a cute little snail pattern added to the fabric. It was very cozy and warm, the mattress and pillows divine.

He felt awfully big, easily filling his corner of the bed, and his pyjamas felt a bit too hot for the night. In all honesty, he felt uneasy. It had been the night his queen had come back to him, and they did some things neither of them regret, but he still felt an unnecessary tension between them. He might’ve just been imagining it, or something in the back of his mind telling him that he didn’t deserve it, but he just didn’t know. Toriel was still in the bathroom, getting ready to snuggle up for bed.

As soon as he began to think, the door opened, Toriel in her usual robe entering the room. She flashed him a loving smile, which he returned uneasily. The room was the exact same as it was underground in her old ‘Home,’ the soft blue walls making the room seem darker, but still comfortable. She walked over to her dresser, where it had been for ages. Asgore couldn’t help but look over, though soon wish’d he hadn’t. She seemed to be in a state of mind completely opposite of Asgore’s, undressing in the same room as him. Her robe slipped from her shoulders, falling to the ground, her lacy matching underwear the only blemishes on her perfectly white fur.

She stretched and sighed, a few bones cracking and popping into place. She stood on her tiptoes, once again trying to the cricks and knots out of her body. Asgore wanted to tear his eyes away, but was entranced. He felt hot guilt spreading from his chest, a blush furious on his muzzle. 

It felt like she was taunting him, slowly moving her body to stretch her pesky muscles. Asgore was lost, her body like a perfect sculpture. Her lovely arms, her modest bust that just peeked from behind her back, her plump hips and pillowy thighs, not to mention her shapely legs, which Asgore absolutely adored. Her small, poofy tail wagged slightly, dragging him into hypnosis.

She unhooked her bra, letting the garment fall atop her robe. Looping two fingers under the band of her panties, she pulled them down, stepping out of them as they reached her ankles. Asgore nearly fainted, Toriel entirely nude in front of him as if he weren’t there. He dared not even to breathe, lying board stiff among the covers.

Opening a drawer, she fished through, looking for her nightwear. She pulled out the loose garment, slipping it on easily. It was light blue, a delta rune on the front and ended just at her hips. It did very little to cover her womanly body, her slight belly nearly accentuated by the garment. Asgore forced himself to stop his gawking, staring at a suddenly interesting pattern in the plain blue wall.

Toriel turned and walked toward the bed, a tired smile on her lips and tired look in her eyes. Pulling the covers up, she slid into the warm sheets, cuddling up against her King. She let out a quiet whine at his over-the-top amount of nightwear.

“Asgore, dear, why are you wearing a full pair of pyjamas?”

“Well, i-it gets a bit cold at night,” he said, trying to keep away from eye contact.

“But you have an actual fur coat to keep you warm.”

“That’s why they call it a ‘Winter’ coat, it’s cold.”

“It’s nearly summer.”

“It can snow in the summer.”

She looked at him, trying to stare into his eyes. “...Asgore, is there a problem?”

Asgore wanted to say no, that this was perfect, that he couldn’t be happier. But he opened his mouth and only a small, choked sound came out. “Y-Yes.

“I-I’m afraid of losing you… again,” he said, his voice shaky. “I don’t want to overstep my boundaries and make matters worse. I loved every moment we spent together, every word we spoke. I just love you so much, you’re the only person that knows what I’ve been through, and you’re the only person that matters more to me than my own life.

“I just don’t want to lose you. Ever again.” 

She hugged him a bit tighter, “Oh, Gorey. That’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard. Please, I just want you to know... everything I said tonight, everything we did, I meant it one hundred percent. I love you, and I want to stay exactly where I am. In your arms.”

Asgore finally met her eyes, which had the truth written in them. She truly loved him, she truly cared. His eyes filled with tears, though not the bitter tears of loss and regret he was used to. They were sweet, happy. 

“Aw... Gorey,” Toriel said, “you’re going to make me cry.”

Something in his chest seemed to click back into place. The words she just said, the timbre, the tone, the emotion. It was the exact same way she had said it all those years ago, which he heard every time, which he heard countless times, when he watched his old videotape. He clutched at her, wrapping his arms around her back and pulling her in close, as if she was about to disappear, tears now streaming down his cheeks.

She didn’t mind the hots tears staining on her shoulder, or his aggressive grip on her back. Wrapping her arms around him, she gave him a reassuring hug, tenderly trying to soothe him.

“I never wanted any of that to happen,” he wept, rambling in his bittersweet tears. “I’m just an old fool who was begging for the past… and now that I have it, I don’t know what to do anymore.” A drawn out silence fell between the two, his labored breathing the only thing breaking the calm. 

“I will never leave you again,” she said suddenly, letting his body still for a bit, waiting for his sobs to subside before adding, “you sappy old goof.”

He let out a shaky chuckle, loosening his grip and pulling her in closer. “I had always been the sappy one, hadn’t I.”

Toriel smiled. “Some things never change.” She released her hug, giving his a short kiss before scooting over to turn off the light. “Now please, take off those silly PJs. I need a fluffy body to snuggle up to as well, you know.”

“Anything for you, dear,” he said with a smile and a laugh, quickly pulling off the unnecessary garments, leaving his chest bare. With the lights now off, moonlight being the only source to see by, and the snail printed blanket pulled over both of them, it felt like nothing could separate them.

He gently wrapped his arms around her, pulling her against his fluffy chest. Her soft body fit perfectly against his. She sighed, “I missed this.”

He hummed in agreement. “I missed it, too.”

She smiled in the dark. Snuggling in closer, their noses merely inches apart.

He smirked, his eyes still slightly open. “Did you miss when I kissed you ever so lightly on the nose.”

She giggled. “Oh… you bet.”

He chuckled “Did you miss when I would wrap my arms just at the small of your back and pull those sweet, few centimeters closer?”

“You big tease,” she joked, “Telling me all of my favorite things without even doing them.”

“You know me too well, Tori,” he said nuzzling against her, giving her nose a light kiss, “What about when I used to hug you from behind and bury my nose right in that one spot that you to love. It used to drive you mad.”

“I missed that as well.”

He smiled goofily. “Which part did you miss the most?”

She giggled, a devilish smirk on her lips. “The part that’s hardest to miss.”

“Oh, hoho,” he laughed, “and you call ME the tease.”

“Were you enjoying the little show earlier, hm, Gorey?” she said, moving her muzzle closer to his. “I think you might have had a bit too much fun.”

His blush returned in near full force, “To think when I first met you I thought you were a prude,” he joked. “Plus, it’s hard not to appreciate beauty, dear.”

She laughed. “Good answer.”

“I try my best,” he said. “Sometimes it works.”

He yawned a loud yawn, his arms flexing behind Toriel. He shuffled just a little bit closer, pulling her just a little bit tighter. “Goodnight, honey.”

“Goodnight, King Fluffybuns.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And with that, the Garden is officially over

**Author's Note:**

> My new project, gonna be several parts, and hopefully I can update it regularly within a week each time.  
> Thanks to Kilozombie and Motif for proofreading


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